BREAKING: Tears Flow As Soludo Demolishes Shops At Onitsha Main Market

Tears flowed freely on Monday as traders watched helplessly while their shops were demolished at Johnson Line, within the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State.

The demolition, reportedly carried out on the orders of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, took some traders by surprise, with many having assumed that the exercise would no longer take place following months of delay.

Heavy-duty tractors moved into the area and pulled down shops and structures, leaving traders with forlorn faces as they struggled to salvage their goods and belongings.

The development comes months after Soludo announced plans to remove shanties and structures obstructing gutters, electricity lines and other infrastructure within the market.

The governor had also held meetings with market leaders at the Light House in Awka, where he explained plans to rebuild and modernise the market, widely regarded as one of the largest commercial markets in West Africa.

According to Soludo, the redevelopment is aimed at transforming the market into a more organised and modern commercial centre comparable to major markets in other parts of the world.

He had said the proposed redevelopment would eliminate shanties, while also providing facilities and infrastructure, including a fire service station, hospital, improved parking facilities, better electricity supply and improved road access.

However, Monday’s demolition left many traders distressed, particularly those operating along Johnson Line.

One of the affected traders, who identified himself as Emeka, said the development caught them off guard because they had begun to believe that the demolition would no longer happen.

“I didn’t see this coming. In fact, this started yesterday. A friend called me to come and evacuate the goods in my wife’s shop as a tractor had arrived in the area,” he said.

According to him, his wife was overwhelmed by the news after hearing that the demolition had commenced.

“My wife almost collapsed in the kitchen out of fear when she heard the news. I called her down and we went together to the place and luckily her shop was not hit until this morning, when it became obvious that her shop would not be spared,” he said.

Emeka disclosed that he had almost paid N10 million for another shop in the area but decided to delay the transaction until the fate of the existing structures became clearer.

“I almost paid for another shop around there to the tune of N10 million but somehow, I held the seller to tarry a while, so we know the fate of the building first,” he said.

He added that he and other affected traders had begun searching for alternative shops, with some reportedly being offered for about N3 million.

Another trader, who pleaded anonymity, said although traders had earlier been informed about the planned demolition, they became less concerned after some other sections were demolished while Johnson Line was left untouched.

He lamented that he was now uncertain about how to continue his business.

“I don’t know where to go from here because I don’t have the huge money to buy a shop,” he said.

Also affected was Mrs Uche Ejiakor, who said she bought a shop in one of the demolished buildings just three months ago for N3 million.

Ejiakor, whose business was still at an early stage, expressed despair over the loss.

“How do I start again? I just bought a shop, here we are today, the shop is levelled down. The money is gone,” she said in tears.

The demolition also triggered panic across parts of the market, as several traders who were not directly affected hurriedly closed and locked their shops.

The development left sections of the usually busy market unusually deserted, while groups of traders stood around watching as the demolition continued.

The state government has maintained that the exercise is part of its broader plan to transform and modernise the Onitsha Main Market, improve infrastructure and restore order within the commercial hub.