POLICE ARRESTED NNEWI TRADERS AS IPOB MEMBERS -Chairman

POLICE ARRESTED NNEWI TRADERS AS IPOB MEMBERS -Chairman

The chairman of Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Nnewi, Mr Gabriel Chibueze, has claimed that at least, 20 persons arrested by the police over Friday’s clash with IPOB were legitimate traders in Nnewi market, and not IPOB members, as claimed by the police.

The market chairman, while speaking with Anaedooline called on the police authorities and Governor Willie Obiano to expedite the release of their members.

He said the police could not get hold of IPOB members, who killed their officers, but rather arrested innocent traders.

The Anambra State Police Command had on Saturday said it arrested 34 members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra in connection with the Nnewi problem.

This was just as traders at the Nkwo Nnewi market closed shops on Saturday to protest against the arrest of some of their members, who were labelled as IPOB members.

They converged at the market’s Central Park bearing placards with inscriptions like ‘Release our members, they are not IPOB members, ‘Governor Obiano hear our cry, innocent traders were all arrested’ among others.

Speaking with journalists, the Chairman of Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Gabriel Chibueze, claimed that over 20 of their members were indiscriminately arrested by the police.

He stated that they were arrested at the motor spare parts market two hours after the clash between the police and members of the IPOB at another section of the market.

He said, “We were not involved in the clash. We were doing our legitimate business at Nkwo Nnewi when members of the IPOB entered our market.

“We never invited them and they never told us they were coming. We were confused that after the incident, police began to arrest everyone they saw in the market. We are neither criminals nor law-breakers.’’