Fulani cattle dealers flex muscles with Gov Alex Oti

*Drag Abia State Govt to court

* Vow to resist attempt to demolish their homes in Umuchieze Garki Cattle Market

By Maro Apoi

Fulani cattle dealers are flexing muscles with the governor of Abia State, His Excellency Alex Oti and dragged him to court.

They seek to stop the State Government from going ahead with its plan to dislodge them from the Umuchieze Garki Cattle Market where they permanently have their residential buildings.

The State Government in its effort to remodel the market and rid it of incidences of recorded criminality and insecurity had notified the Cattle dealers and given them notice to quit before a demolition exercise will be carried out in the market.

This was after the government observed and expressed its displeasure with the practice of Cattle dealers and their families making their homes in the market.

But the cattle dealers and residents of the market dragged the government to Court following a warning notice served on them by the Town Planning Authority of Umunneochi Local Government, which is poised to commence the demolition of residential houses inside the market.

The suit, No. HUM/9/2024 was filed by 12 persons, including Sarkin Zango, Hussaini Muhammad, and Buba Kedemure, the spokesman of the group, for themselves and on behalf of cattle dealers and the market residents.

An Abia State High Court sitting at Isuochi would on March 13, 2024, commence hearing in the suit.

In the interim, the court would decide on an application for an interlocutory injunction seeking to restrain the government from carrying out the demolition of residential houses inside the market, pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Since last October, the cattle dealers have been at loggerheads with the Abia government after the government took a firm decision to remodel the cattle market and make it non-residential, citing security issues.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the state Commissioner for Lands, Chaka Chukwumerije; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna; Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government, Ndubuisi Ike, and the state Commissioner of Police.

Credit: Vanguard