Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Rivers State branch, and its coalition partners have welcomed the discharge and acquittal, on Wednesday, of four Port Harcourt traders detained and being treated as criminals after their arrest on December 19, 2019 for allegedly driving against traffic.

The traders – Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere, all of Ikokwu Market in the Rivers State capital – were discharged and acquitted yesterday by a Port Harcourt chief magistrate court after being declared innocent of the trumped-up charges levelled against them by Police.

Their discharge and acquittal came hours into the “Black Wednesday” declared for yesterday by Ohanaeze Rive State, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), lawyers, and Ikokwu Traders and Mechanic Association to demand for justice over their detention and the alleged murder of another trader, Chima Ikwunado.

“The traders and mechanics have unanimously agreed to sit at home in protest to demand the release of the late Chima Ikwunado’s corpse, free four other of his colleagues and unconditional release of 28 people arrested during a peaceful protest last week Monday,” the coalition had said in a statement published yesterday by News Express.

They said that the action became necessary “following a fortnight battle for justice to be served on late Chima Ikwunado who was gruesomely murdered by Eagle Crack team of Nigeria Police Force attached to Mile 1 Police Division in Port Harcourt Rivers State led by SP Benson Adetuyi and continued incarceration of other four colleagues in correctional centre without committing any criminal offence if not that they drove against the traffic on the 19th of December, 2019.”

Reacting to yesterday afternoon’s ruling by the Port Harcourt chief magistrate court, the coalition said: “The coalition welcomes their release and insists on the unconditional release of Chima’s body, as well as the release of 28 others arrested during a peaceful protest and due compensation to the Ikokwu5.”

•Ohanaeze Rives State leadership during an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Port Harcourt