Leadership Crisis Deepens at Ozomagana Market, Secretary Beaten During Elders’ Visit

Injured market secretary, Patrick Obiekwe, and elders of the Modebe family addressing traders at Ozomagana Building Materials Market

By Juliana Nwachukwu

The leadership crisis rocking Ozomagana Building Materials Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, escalated on Tuesday when the market’s secretary, Patrick Obiekwe, was allegedly attacked and assaulted by youths suspected to be indigenes of Onitsha.
Following the attack, tension has heightened in the market, raising fresh concerns over the lingering dispute.
The incident reportedly occurred when elders of the Modebe family, led by 78-year-old Samuel Menkiti Modebe, visited the market to express solidarity with traders following the Anambra State Government’s intervention in the protracted crisis.
It was gathered that during the visit, the situation turned violent, resulting in the alleged assault on the market secretary.
It was further gathered that while Samuel Modebe was addressing the traders, about three vehicle-loads of youths stormed the scene. One of the vehicles, a Sienna, bore the inscription, “Facebook Onitsha Youths.” The youths reportedly headed straight for the market secretary, who was among the traders being addressed, and allegedly beat him to a pulp.
The youths, who were reportedly armed with machetes, clubs, and other dangerous weapons, caused panic among the traders, who fled for safety, leaving the visiting elders behind.
Reacting to the incident, elder Samuel Modebe described the attack as unfortunate, adding that it would not deter the entire Modebe family from maintaining its stand against illegality.
“We are not deterred. The entire Modebe family is in support of the state government’s intervention, and we are also in support of the traders since a few members of the family have monopolized what is generated in the market.
“We also stand by the earlier 50-year lease agreement between us and the Ozomagana Market traders led by Obiora Okoro, and we are not part of the intimidation of Obiora and the entire traders by just three members of the Modebe family, including Ikechukwu Modebe, who led some youths to attack the market secretary, Obiekwe. It all happened in my presence as I was addressing the traders.
“I have told the traders that Ikechukwu Modebe, our daughter, and one other person from the Modebe family should not continue to take what belongs to the entire Modebe family. We have to speak with one voice and not speak differently,” he stated.
In his reaction, the injured Obiekwe said:
“I escaped death by the whiskers because when the Onitsha youths led by Ikechukwu Modebe came to the gathering, Ikechukwu Modebe pointed at me and directed the youths to kill me, which they tried to do.
“I was immediately beaten with clubs, machetes, and the butts of guns before they pushed me into a gutter after running over me several times. They thought I had died and fled, warning that they would come back.
“After lodging this matter at the Onitsha Police Area Command, I will proceed to the hospital because I am weak, and I don’t know if I have internal bleeding,” he stated.
Also speaking, one of the elders of the Modebe family, Pastor Olisa Modebe, said:
“We are not part of the arrangement to rewrite the 50-year lease agreement that we all signed earlier.
“We addressed the traders to let them know that this is a collective mandate of the Modebe family, not that of a few individuals.
“We will look into the money a few members of the Modebe family are collecting illegally from you traders. This is my first time hearing about it. I am a son of Modebe, and our father is the first son, which they all know.
“We all have equal rights here. Every child of Modebe has a right, not just one person. If one of us does the right thing, we will support him, but if he does wrong, we will not. We will not engage in fraud in our business because it was not us who preserved this land; it was Modebe himself.
“What Ikechukwu Modebe and the Onitsha youths did to Obiekwe in our presence is unfortunate, but we urge the traders to forgive and forget. We are in full support of the traders and the state government, which has intervened to ensure lasting peace,” he stated.
Speaking further, Obiora Okoro lamented that only three members of the Modebe family had held the traders hostage because they claimed to have connections in Abuja.
He added that he was pleased that Governor Chukwuma Soludo had intervened in the matter.
“The problem is that the three of them want us to rewrite the 50-year lease agreement that we all signed earlier, but we said no. They have been using the police to intimidate us,” he said.

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