Hon Anigbogu
Tension has heightened at Ochanja Market, Onitsha, following an attack on an Anambra trader leader, Hon. Okwudili Anigbogu, who is currently receiving medical treatment after sustaining injuries during a violent incident in the market.
Anigbogu, an APGA chieftain, Councilor Njikoka Enugu-Ukwu Ward II and former Chairman of the Emordi Shoe Dealers Association, was reportedly attacked on Wednesday during a confrontation that broke out while police officers were allegedly attempting to arrest some traders over an earlier disturbance in the market.
The Emordi Shoe Dealers Association has been embroiled in a leadership dispute following the November 20, 2025 election of Anigbogu and other executives, an outcome later nullified by the Anambra State Government, which subsequently inaugurated a caretaker committee.
The development led to a legal challenge by the elected executives.
According to accounts from the Anigbogu camp, violence erupted during the attempted arrests, leaving him severely injured and later hospitalised. His supporters alleged that shops belonging to him were also vandalised during the incident.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Anigbogu accused former market leader, Chief Nwabueze Umeh, of instigating repeated disruptions in the market and preventing the elected executives from assuming office.
He appealed to the state government to intervene to restore peace and ensure the safety of traders.
However, Chief Umeh denied the allegations, insisting that Anigbogu initiated the confrontation by arriving with police officers during a private engagement.
He maintained that he neither ordered nor participated in any attack or looting and advised Anigbogu to pursue his grievances through lawful channels.
Meanwhile, the leadership tussle has moved to court, as the Emordi Shoe Dealers Association has instituted a suit at the Onitsha High Court seeking judicial interpretation of its autonomy and the validity of its November election.
The association is also asking the court to restrain alleged interference in its affairs.
Petitions have equally been submitted to relevant government agencies as stakeholders await legal and administrative resolutions to the crisis.
