Onitsha Market Chairman Arrested Again Amid Land Dispute

The crisis at the Ozomagana Building materials market in Onitsha has intensified after the alleged re-arrest of its chairman, Obiora Okoro, by the Abuja Police Intelligence Response Team. This marks the seventh time the chairman has been detained at the market, according to local reports.

The dispute between the traders and the Modebe family, who own the land, has persisted for two years. The traders had previously paid for seven plazas leased for 50 years, but the Modebe family now demands a renewed agreement with higher payments, which the traders have refused.

Civil rights groups have criticized the police action, suggesting the repeated arrests may be used to pressure the chairman into signing a new lease agreement under duress.