Apo Traders Accuse DPO Of Bias Over Market Crisis, Seek IGP’s Intervention

The Abuja Automobile Tyre Dealers’ Association has accused the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Apo Division, CSP Uchenna Igwebike, of bias and failure to act over a series of alleged violent attacks in the Apo Tyre Market, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to intervene.

The association made the calls on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja, where its leaders said that the market had been plunged into repeated violence allegedly orchestrated by a former chairman, Chimezie, who allegedly refused to accept the outcome of the association’s leadership transition.

Chairman of the association, Samuel Akah,alleged that the former chairman, whose tenure ended in 2022, had continued to destabilise the market through intimidation and attacks on members after losing control of the association.

Akah said the association, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on February 21, 1996, remained the only legally recognised umbrella body for tyre, rim, battery and automobile accessories dealers in the Federal Capital Territory.

He further said that after remaining in office beyond his tenure, the former chairman allegedly diverted the association assets worth hundreds of millions of naira and later floated a parallel association bearing a similar name to mislead traders and the public.

According to the association, violence erupted during a general meeting on November 4, 2025, when members were allegedly attacked by supporters of the former chairman. It also alleged that another attack occurred on July 9, 2026, while officials were collecting association dues, leaving several traders injured but the police, under the DPO has continued to shield and support the former chairman.

The association claimed that tyres were set ablaze along the Apo expressway during the incident, disrupting traffic and causing panic among road users.

Speaking further, the association secretary, Arinze Okoye further alleged that suspected weapons were brought into the market on July 10, 2026, in preparation for another attack.

He said members intercepted one of the vehicles conveying the suspected weapons, while another escaped.

Okoye also accused the Apo Divisional Police Officer, CSP Igwebike of failing to act on several petitions submitted to the police despite what he described as documentary and video evidence identifying the alleged perpetrators.

He alleged that several suspects named in the petitions remained at large, raising concerns about possible protection by security personnel.

The association urged President Tinubu to direct relevant security agencies to restore peace in the market and ensure the protection of lives and property.

It also called on the Inspector-General of Police to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those named in its petitions and to investigate any police officers alleged to have shielded the suspects.

The traders further appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to ensure accountability over the reported attacks and called on the Corporate Affairs Commission to deregister what they described as a fraudulent parallel association.

The association stressed that it was committed to lawful means of resolving the dispute and was only seeking government intervention to enable traders carry out their businesses in a peaceful and secure environment.

Also, one of the elders in the market, Aloysius Okonkwo, who spoke to journalist after the briefing, said the former chairman promised to make the regime of this current leadership ungovernable.

According to him, “the former chairman pledged to make the market ungovernable for the current regime and it. Immediately after the election of the current chairman, the former one, whose candidate was defeated, made the threat and he has been doing that since then.”