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Protest Rocks Nsukka Timber Market Over Extortion, Threat To Life

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, March 30th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – At the Nsukka timber market, Enugu state over the weekend, unknown armed thugs allegedly invaded the market with dangerous weapons, extorting several amounts of money from traders.

Over 200 registered traders in the market who reacted to the incident, expressed displeasure, over the worrisome manner their members were extorted almost on a daily basis by the alleged thugs, amid threats to life of anyone who fails to pay.

The timber dealers in the university town, who took to streets of Nsukka, chanted sorrowful solidarity songs with placards demanding the abolishment of the eight man caretaker committee instituted by Nsukka local government council chairman Engr. Chinedu Asogwa .

They claimed that the situation has disrupted the existing peace in the market.

Speaking with newsmen, the chairman, timber dealers Association of the market, Chief Eze Ugochikwu, said that Nsukka local and chairman dissolved the elected executives of the timber market and placed an eight man committee to oversee the affairs and activities of the market.

He expressed dismay over the unannounced dissolution of its executives, explaining that the market has been at peace over the years without any issue between its members and the local government.

According to him, “We never reneged in payment of taxes to both state and local government councils. The chairman had earlier commended us for being in peace unlike other markets in the locality.

“Only to turn around and dissolved the executives of the timber dealers association and placed his kinsmen as caretaker committee to satisfy their curiosity” he alleged.

“We were at the verge of holding a peaceful election of the market slated for November 2024 when the siege on the local government struck and the executives was dissolved, without any clear reasons of the dissolution, insisting that they have been in peace unlike other markets”

He added that “We have tried to manage the situation in the market but the caretaker committee engage in extortion, treat to life for non compliance of illegal taxes in the name of Nsukka local government council to enrich themselves, collecting between N10,000 to N50,000 on daily bases per a trader.

The caretaker committee harasses and intimidates traders with gun in other to extort money from members.

“We don’t know where they came from, they keep boasting that they are carrying the order of the local government council chairman”

The Chairman said “We appeal to Enugu state governor Dr Peter Mbah to intervene and call Nsukka local government council chairman to order, allow the existing peace in the market to prevail and disband the caretaker committee instituted on the market.

“Most of our members no longer sleep in their homes due to threats to their lives. Since February 2025 the committee was imposed on us, we have not known peace any longer, chasing traders with gun daily in order to extort money.

“We have resolved to take legal action since the council chairman keep deaf ears to our constitutional rights to peaceful market election and removed the caretaker committee imposed in the market which was the basis of the protest.

Also speaking Mr. Ugwuada Chukwuma said that the committee forcefully sealed shops demanding unknown payment of N50,000 and above, pointing out that the committee seized woods, carted away planks unless one pay N60,000 which is strange since the history of the market.

“I have been on the run since yesterday as they threatened my life, and even called my family to ask me to comply or face the wrath of the local government council .

“We have never disagreed with the local and state governments on taxes, the institution and imposition of caretaker committee is strange and unheard of in the market.

“We pay taxes to the Enugu state board of internal revenue and not to committees and groups that extort money to enrich themselves.

Mr. Nzekwe Odinaka Secretary to the Association, also frowned at the development in the market