Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Timber traders in Iloabuchi, Diobu axis of Port Harcourt, are not having the best of times after all. On the contrary, they are having it very rough with some of the community boys who have now become a thorn in their flesh.
TPCN investigation reveals that the boys, who claim to be indigenes of Iloabuchi, usually come to the timber market every evening to forcefully demand money from every trader.
The boys, who come to the market from 5 p.m. daily, go from shop to shop demanding for levies and usually resort to violence should any of the traders refuse to pay the money.
The traders, who are mainly non-indigenes from Igbo Land, always find themselves in a helpless situation and, as a result, succumb to the community boys’ intimidation by paying the money under duress.
Efforts by the traders to get protection from the police and government officials have always ended in futility, as, according to them, the police had never shown interest in the matter but rather acts in a way that suggests they could be conniving with the boys.
One of the traders, who spoke under anonymity, told TPCN yesterday that they are tired of reporting their predicament to the police because of their nonchalant attitude to their cause.
The trader, who said he hails from Abia State, added: “My brother, we are tired of this daily harassment we face from these boys. Every day they will come in the evening to collect money from us. They used to threaten us that they are in charge of this market; sometimes they will say that they are Niger Delta Volunteer something. In fact, they are making business to be difficult for us. We are tired. The police are not even helping us. Our leaders used to report to them but they’re not doing anything about it; I don’t know if the boys are sharing the money with them because they used to say that if we like we should go and tell the police, that they will not do anything to them. If this harassment continues, I will relocate to another place.”
Chairman of the Multi-Purpose Timber Market, Iloabuchi, Casmir Uzoagba, confirmed the frequent harassment and extortion of the traders by a group of boys from the area.
He said despite the fact that the traders pay their levies to the state government, their efforts to get the government’s attention to their predicament, especially in the hands of the boys, have remained fruitless.
Mr Casmir Uzoagba, therefore, pleaded with the government to beef up security in the area by setting up a police checkpoint there.
He also complained about the unsteady electricity in the market and its environs which he said is affecting their business.
According to him, when they went to the state ministry of power to lodge their complaint, the ministry officials told them that there was no transformer available.
On the hygienic situation of the market, Uzoagba said that the traders carry out sanitation exercise every Thursday, which he said is the reason why the market is very neat. He, however, regretted that they have no dumping zone where they can dump the refuse after each sanitation exercise.
On his relationship with the traders, the Iloabuchi Multi-Purpose Timber Market chairman said it is cordial and that there are peace and progress among the traders.
When TPCN went to the Iloabuchi police station to find out what the police is doing about the harassment and extortion of the timber market traders by the boys in question, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station was said not to be on seat.
