Tension gripped the Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State on Tuesday after traders clashed with security operatives enforcing the closure of the market.
Recall that Governor Charles Soludo had ordered the shutdown of the market on Monday, citing continued compliance with the sit-at-home directive issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The governor questioned why traders were still keeping their shops closed despite what he described as a return of peace and normalcy across the state.
Earlier on Tuesday, DAILY POST reported the deployment of armoured vehicles and heavily armed police officers to enforce the closure order.
Later in the day, however, traders reportedly moved into the market area in an attempt to access their shops, defying the governor’s directive.
Their refusal to comply with the order resulted in a confrontation with security personnel enforcing the shutdown.
In a video that has since gone viral, traders were seen fleeing for safety as the sound of gunshots echoed within the market area, throwing the environment into chaos.