BY VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA—COMMERCIAL activities were, yesterday, grounded at the popular electronics market in Onitsha, Anambra State, during a protest by market touts who were protesting alleged killing of a colleague by the police.

Property worth over N20 million were destroyed during the riot that disrupted traffic at the ever-busy Asaba-Onitsha-Enugu Road.

Traders and road users scampered to safety when the situation became chaotic while traders hurriedly closed their shops.

Vanguard gathered that trouble started when policemen allegedly shot and killed one of the market touts allegedly fleeing from arrest, over touting activities.

The death of the tout  angered other touts popularly known as “Ndi Oso Afia” who blocked the roads and started making bonfire in protest against the killing of their colleague.

An eye-witness said the deceased had earlier been  arrested by the police over swindling activities for which the touts were known and was alleged to have tried to escape before he was shot dead.

Chairman of the electronics market association,  Chief Okechukwu Okoli, said the deceased and some other members of the “Ndi Oso-Afia” had been earlier arrested by the police and were to be charged to court  when one of them tried to escape and was shot dead by the police.

It was gathered that after the death of the suspect, his colleagues mobilised to attack members of the market executive,   and destroyed property in the market.

He said: “The boys mobilised immediately they heard that one of their members had been shot. They over-powered the police and carried the corpse into the office of one of the market executive members, where they destroyed goods and office equipment in the shop and other shops in the market.”

The intervention of the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr. Larry Osita, who mobilised his men prevented the touts from burning down the market.