Traders and shop owners along Ngwa Road in Aba have staged a protest at the government house, Umuahia, over the prolonged closure of the Ngwa Road Market following a military operation after the killing of five soldiers by gunmen at the Obikabia Junction.
Spokesperson of the protesters, Ikenna Ohanaba, said since May 30, commercial activities had been halted in the market area, affecting over 50 shops, two shopping plazas and other businesses.
He stressed that the traders, who were unrelated to the incident at the Obikabia Junction, were suffering and risked starvation without access to their livelihoods.
The Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem, acknowledged the traders’ peaceful protest and assured them that the security situation would be re-evaluated soon.
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He stressed the necessity of heightened military presence following the attack, but assured that efforts were being made to restore normalcy.