Enugu Traders Beg Ugwuanyi To Intervene On Plans To Eject Them From Market

Posted by Ignatius Okpara African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, March 13th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Traders at the new Artisan Goat Market Enugu, have cried out to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the state over concluded plans by government officials and an individual to Eject them from the place, urging him to urgently intervene in the matter.

Our correspondent reports that the said private individual in collaboration with some State Judicial officers, are relying on a court pronouncement in making the move of sending the traders packing from the popular New Artisan Goat market.

They said the call for the state government’s intervention became necessary as the police and officials of the State Judiciary are head bent in carrying out a writ of execution in respect to a Suit No E/539/2005, which granted part of the land which constitutes the goat market to a private person.

Soliciting for the governor’s intervention via a Human Rights organization, operating under the platform of Civil Rights Realization and Advancement Network (CRRAN), the traders, under the leadership of Alhaji Danlandi, said the development if allowed would throw them and family members into untold hardship.

The Human Rights group in the letter to the Governor, signed by its president, Barrister Olu Omotayo, made available told African Examiner weekend in Enugu said “the leadership of the New Artisan Goat market, Enugu, informed us that on Wednesday 10th March 2021, that they were invited to the State Police Headquarters where they met some officials of the State Judiciary led by A.C. Mbah Esq.

According to CRRAN, the state Judicial officials had informed the Goat Traders “that they want to execute a Writ of Execution in respect of Suit No. E/539/2005, which granted part of the land which constitute the
“Goat Market” to a private person.

“But we find this development very strange and curious because we know that all that parcel of land which constitutes the Goat Market belongs to the Enugu State Government by virtue of “Enugu State of Nigeria
Official Gazette No.1, Vol 15, of 6th April 2006, which gave Notice of Public lands Acquisition (Acquisition Notice) and designated the place as Goat Market.

The letter which was copied to the State Attorney General, and Commissioner for Justice, as well as Chief Judge of the state, noted that “the effect of the above stated act of the government is that no private citizen can claim to have any right or interest in the parcel of land.

“We submit that if Suit No. E/539/2005, was instituted and determined before the earlier mentioned Official Gazette came into force, the judgment has been affected by the official takeover of the parcel of
land in question and any citizen who has any interest in any land therein shall only be entitled to prompt payment of compensation as provided by law.

Omotayo added: “we submit that the Attorney General of the State is a necessary party in respect of any action instituted in respect of government land which we doubt whether he is aware of the said Suit No. E/539/2005.

He argued that the traders of the goat Market are peaceful and law-abiding citizens “and we urge you to urgently intervene in this matter because the action of the proponents of the so call writ of execution may cause a breach of peace law and order.

“It should be noted that there is a pending appeal at the Court of Appeal, Enugu on the matters bordering on the rights of the traders of the Goat Market in the Case: ALHAJI ADAMU MAIWA & 2 OTHERS V. ATT GENERAL OF ENUGU STATE & 2 OTHERS Appeal No. CA/E/526/2017.

The “Enugu State of Nigeria Official Gazette No.1, Vol 15, of 6th April 2006, which gave Notice of Public lands Acquisition (Acquisition Notice) and designated the place as Goat Market; and the processes filed by the
appellants in respect of the Appeal is attached to this letter.

“We urge you to in the interest of justice and as the Chief Security Officer of the State, take appropriate urgent legal action in respect of this matter as its’ circumstances demands.