A fracas broke out in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital on Wednesday following the alleged death of a market apprentice at Abakpa market, who was allegedly beaten to death by persons suspected to be thugs working for the state government under the board of internal revenue.
The Ebonyi State taskforce was said to have gone to the market to ensure traders paid their taxes but an uproar broke out that led to the shutting down of the market in the capital city for hours.
Reports state that policemen drafted to the market shot tear-gas canister on the merchants while the aggrieved traders hauled stones and other dangerous materials on the government officials in return.
According to a trader who spoke to Businessday on condition of anonymity, the apprentice that was killed had an altercation with the persons alleged to be thugs attached to the task force.
“The man who was killed asked the task force why they had come when they got to his shop. This is said to have infuriated one of the thugs who slapped the man. When the apprentice retaliated, they beat and eventually killed him,” the source said.
The source, however, appealed that the government review the tax which was too high, to avoid reoccurrence of the tragic event.
Meanwhile, Okwuegu Martin, the Special Assistant to the State Governor, David Umahi, on Internally Generated Revenue, refuted claims that any trader was killed.
Martin explained that the problem stemmed from a misunderstanding which followed a fraud of about N50 million against the government by one Eze Christopher, the erstwhile market leader.
Christopher was supposed to collect and remit tax on behalf of the traders but government record showed he was not forthcoming, Martin said.
“Because of the breach, the man was removed and a caretaker constituted.”
However the problem was that people who had paid their tax were unhappy with the situation even though they had been warned to verify payments from the government, Martin said.
He added that efforts by the government at a peaceful resolution was futile and it had to enforce the tax collection but in a peaceful way.
“I am hearing that someone died for the first time. We did what we did peacefully,” Martin said.
On his part, the Acting Chairman of Abakpa market traders association, Oba Peter, explained that he only took the tax enforcement agents to shop owners who had refused to pay their taxes, before the riot.
“I heard people were protesting in the market. I cannot tell people not to pay government revenue. If there is any fight, I do not know”, he stated.
At the time of filing this report, police had taken over the market and did not allow traders access. Petty traders from the rural areas were forced to move their products to nearby streets.
NKECHINYERE OGINYI
