Cattle dealers at the Laokpanta Garki Cattle Market, Umuchieze in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State has sued the state government over planned decision to make the market a daily market and shelter demolition.
The decision of the conversion and demolition by the state government followed the discovery of 70 decomposing corpse and skeletons in forest near the market.
According to the government, the discovery indicated that kidnappers had made the cattle market the operational base for their criminal activities, including collection of ransom on kidnap victims.
Although, the cattle dealers insisted that there was no illegal activities at the market, challenging the government to display the 70 corpses said to have been discovered.
The traders claimed that they have a right to reside inside the market, while the government forges ahead with its plan to remodel the market and make it non-residential.
The suit filed to challenge the government’s decision has as defendants the state Commissioner for Lands, Chaka Chukwumerije, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, the Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Ndubuisi Ike and the state Commissioner of Police.
The trial, set for March 13, 2024, will review the applicants’ request for an interlocutory injunction to halt the government’s demolition of residential houses in the market.
