On Tuesday, Igbo traders in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, took the decision to close their shops in protest against the reported frequent kidnapping of their wives in the state.
The traders, while expressing their grievances over the development, said men of the underworld have continued to target their wives to collect ransom.
The protest, which was meant to be for two days, was called off on Wednesday by the leadership of Igbo traders following the intervention of the State Government.
One of the Igbo traders, who did not wish be named because he was not authorized to speak, said “It was a protest by Igbo traders in Kogi over the incessant kidnapping of our women. It keeps occuring every month.
“After they release one person, the next month they will pick another person. This has been going on for over two years. The protest was planned for two days but it was called off today (Wednesday).
“According to our leadership, they said government officials and officials of Lokoja Local Government Area intervened in the matter, so they suspend the protest,”
he said.
A trader, Mr Sunday Ike who spoke to our correspondent, said Igbo traders live in fear over what he called “rampant kidnapping of Igbo traders in the state”.
He said: “The kidnapping of Igbos in the state is becoming alarming. We are living in fear. Igbo traders are endangered species. One Igbo lady was recently kidnapped while returning from church. Her abductors refused to release her until the husband paid a huge sum of money as ransom.”
According to him, Lokoja Local Government Caretaker Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu held a meeting with Igbo traders on Tuesday.
He said the local government boss has allayed their fears, assuring them that Lokoja would continue to be a melting pot for all Nigerians.
“The LGA chairman said his administration would continue to foster security and promote peaceful coexistence among all ethnic nationalities in the state.
“With his intervention, the leadership of our union has ordered us to call off the protest and that is the reason we opened our shops today,”
Ike explained.
