There was pandemonium on Thursday around the popular Ochanja Central Market, Ochanja Roundabout, Fegge, in the Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State, after illegal revenue collectors swooped on traders and tricycle operators.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the hoodlums became aggressive after traders and tricycle operators resisted their demand for money, telling them that the state Governor, Charles Soludo, had banned illegal collection of levies.
The situation degenerated into a clash between the louts and the tricycle operators, as well as the traders, who withdrew their services.
The incident forced some commuters to trek to their various destinations, while those who could not trek were stranded.
Some traders, who spoke to our correspondent, accused the louts of using weapons to force them to part with various sums of money while boasting that the government could not stop them from collecting revenue.
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A tricycle operator, who identified himself simply as Chidi, noted that the hoodlums were armed with charms and machetes.
However, it took the intervention of policemen from the Fegge division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Mr Rabiu Garba, before normalcy was restored.
Garba, who spoke to PUNCH Metro, warned the louts to desist from illegality.
He said, “We will not spare anybody who tries to challenge or flout government’s directives. Fegge has zero-tolerance for lawlessness and therefore, we will not spare any lawbreaker.
“We will not tolerate such lawlessness; we will deal mercilessly with anybody who tries to flout government’s directives. They can try that nonsense elsewhere, but not in Fegge; we will not allow them. Lawlessness is never condoned in Fegge and not in my time will anybody engage in such lawlessness when the government has given a directive on suspension of revenue collection.”
