Market women barricade Calabar highway over extortion by hoodlums

About five hundred women traders from the 8th Miles market in the outskirts of Calabar have shut off the only major access road in and out of Calabar.

The women are protesting the alleged extortion and high taxes by government agents in the new location.

The women appealed to the state government to return them to their original site at 8th Miles.

The protest which commenced early Tuesday morning caused traffic gridlock in the axis and took place throughout the morning.

The roadblock by the women, stationed at the Agrofeed junction close to the Army checkpoint prevented the free flow of traffic causing a halt on commercial activities in most parts of the metropolis.

One of the women, Madam Ikwo Akpan said, “We are demanding the authorities to allow us return to our main market which is the 8miles market. ”

The women accused a certain ‘Boy O Boy’ of initiating their illegal removal from the 8miles market to the Ikot Eneobong market.

Madam Ikwo said further, “We pay as much as N40,000 for a space in this place, we are yet unable to make sales because of the bad road leading to the market.

“ They sent us away from our main market that it was a community land. In 2016, the President’s wife, Mrs Buhari came here and commissioned this 8miles market for us to sell.

“Why are they now sending us away from 8th Miles to a place where there is no access road?”

They also accused the chairman of Calabar Municipality, Effefiong Nta of conniving with the said Boy O Boy to frustrate traders.

The women vowed to remain on the road until their demands are met.

Reacting, council chairmen, Nta said they will address the matter but cautioned the women not to take laws into their hands.