Top view of regular red onions
Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia
Facts have emerged on why some traders that deal on onions from the far north ‘suspended’ the movement of onions to the Southeast on Wednesday.
Our Reporter who spoke with one of the traders at Lokpanta in Umunneochi council area of Abia state said the ‘suspension’ may not be unconnected with the recent incident in Mbaise, Imo State last Sunday.
It could be recalled that a trailer conveying the leafy vegetable fruit was vandalized after it had an accident, adding that their grouse was also that some of their goods were also destroyed during the SARS riot in the Southeast last year.
The trailer, it was gathered was coming from the far north, reportedly had an accident as it made its way to a South-south and in the process, emptied its content on the road.
Some hoodlums, it was gathered, carted away the contents of the vehicle as the driver and his motor boy disappeared.
Onions Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), said on Wednesday that it was suspending its sales on the Southeast for now because of insecurity.
Asked why they had not carried out such measure in some parts of the north that have been overwhelmed by insurgency, banditry, kidnapping etc, the National President of OMPAN, Malam Isa Aliyu, contended that onions traders in the north have not been attacked in those areas.
He accused members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) of being behind the accident and looting of the wares of two of their members in Imo State last Saturday.
