Alleged police murder: Enugu Assembly orders probe, shuts market

THE Enugu State House of Assembly on Tuesday ordered the probe of the gruesome murder of a policeman at the New Artisan Market, Enugu, where livestock are being sold, last Saturday, just as it ordered the immediate closure of the market.

The House also ordered that the market be relocated to a different location far from the heart of the metropolis, as it constituted security risk in the coal city because the hoodlums operating therein could one day attack and over-run the Government House.

The order for the closure of the livestock market was sequel to the presentation of a report of enquiry made at the market as a result of the killing of the police officer.

According to the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Lands and Urban Development, Honourable Sunday Ude-Okoye, who presented the report of his committee, the market had shanties being occupied as residences rather than the trading they were meant for.

The report indicated that the market had turned into a haven for procurement, trafficking and consumption of hard drugs.

According to Ude-Okoye, the market had been converted to brothels and baby factories where young girls between the ages of 11 and 20 were allegedly prostituting and breeding children for sale.

In view of the alleged unwholesome activities going on in the market, the House, based on the report of the committee, urged Governor Ugwuanyi to direct all the security agents to forthwith vacate everybody in the market and seal it.

The House also resolved that a panel of inquiry should be set up to investigate the immediate and remote cause of the violence that led to the killing of the police officer.