There was a commotion on Sunday November 13, 2022 as the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Charles Udoh, allegedly ordered some security men to manhandle the secretary of Ifa Ikot Akpan village council, Mr. Victor Edet, ?for questioning him on why he demolished the community market.
It was gathered that the community which is in Uyo local government area, did not receive any prior notice from the state government to carry out the demolition of the market.
Blueprint correspondent who went to the scene of the incident observed that the market shades and tables used by women to display their wares were destroyed by the men of Uyo Capital City Development (UCCD).
Blueprint reports that the irate youths of the community who did not accept the action of the state government blocked Oron road that is leading to the airport and women were seen with placards with the inscription “is this the kind of government we want?”.
Speaking with Edet, the victim who is also the Community Laison Officer (CLO) for the airport road expansion project said that he escaped death because the commissioner ordered some policemen to beat him without committing any offense.
Edet said he approached Udoh to quizze him on the reason behind the demolition since the state government did not serve the community any notice for the relocation of the market.
Covering with bloodstains, the victim said his attackers used machetes on him which left him with open wounds but managed to escape as they want to allegedly shoot him.
He alleged that the commissioner’s move was based on the community’s support for the governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
“As I came out this afternoon to meet the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Charles Udoh, I approached him and pleaded with him that the government did not give us any notice for the demolition of this market.
“The word that came out from the Commissioner’s mouth was that they were looking for me because I am the supporter of Bassey Albert of YPP, he ordered the policemen to beat me up and that Albert will not do anything
“That was when the policeman hit me with a gun and he ordered a policeman attached to anti-cultism to beat me and the police brought out matchet beat me up and stabbed but a managed to escape,” Edet added.
A trader who gave her name as Eno from the community said that the news of the market demolition came to her home and she ran down to check what happened.
She lamented that the market was the only place in the community she sells her goods to support her children in school as she is a widow with no help from anybody.
Another widow from the community who did not give her name alleged that some policemen broke into people’s houses including bathrooms and arrested some who were indoors.
All efforts to reach the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Charles Udoh proves abortive as he neither responded to calls nor text message while filing the report.
