By Stanley Umejiaku
Some traders in the popular Onitsha market in Anambra State, have sent a save-our-souls message to the new state Commissioner of Police, alleging that a team of policemen has been breaking into their shops and carting away their goods without explanations.
The traders who spoke with reporters on phone alleged that four police officers who claim to come from Area Command in the commercial city have been in the habit of breaking into their shops in the wee hours of the night after which they would cart away all their goods to their station and demand whooping sums of money before releasing the goods to them.
Their spokesman, Nnanunyelugo Elias said that they carry out such raids about 10p.m., when most of the traders had gone home. According to him, as soon as they see that their targeted trader had gone home with his boys, they use heavy instruments and rods to break into the shops after which they cart away all the goods back to their station.
“The latest of such criminal act took place at shop 52, building material section on August 9, 2026. Five of the police officers later identified as Inspector Anthony, Inspector Elijah, Sergeant Daniel Sergeant Ebo and Assistant Superintendent of Police Sebastine invaded a medicine store at the building material section on the said day. They broke into the medicine shop and packed all the drugs worth over N50million after which they used their pick up van to take the drugs to Area Command under the leadership of an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“They carried out the raid without any official document, no search warrant, no court order etc. The owner of the store rushed to their command early morning the following day only to be told that his goods have been taken to government ministry in charge of seizing such goods. They did not tell him either the offence he committed, whom to meet at the government ministry or the location of the ministry.
“Rather, one of the policemen in the station whispered to him that his drugs have been sold and advised that he should quietly leave the station before they detain him.
The helpless owner of the store who lost a whooping N50million had to disappear from the station to lick his wound. This is not the first time they have been embarking on this illegal raid. Many of us had experienced it but we are afraid of raising alarm because we have nobody to help us.
“We are, therefore, calling on the new Commissioner of Police to swing into action by identifying all the policemen involved in these dubious deals because they are well known. They should be removed so that they would not spoil the good work he came to do in the state. Two of the officers we mentioned earlier were also involved in the latest shooting at Onitsha Head Bridge but their heads are shielding them. So, the police boss should not spare any of them including their bosses.
“Onitsha is a very volatile city as a commercial nerve centre in the eastern part of the country and if such officers are allowed to continue holding sway, they will bring more bad name to the Police”.
Efforts made to call the attention of the Police Public Relations Officer in the state failed as calls made to his telephone did not go through.
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