Travellers Stranded In Asaba As Protesters Block Onitsha Head Bridge

Traders, in large number, yesterday blocked the popular Onitsha   Head Bridge in Anambra State, preventing travellers and other motorists from accessing it.

It may not be unconnected to the shutdown of the Main Market by Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the subsequent protest by traders.

The Onitsha Head Bridge links Anambra with Delta State, and the protest disrupted movement in and out of the state

The Asaba side of the bridge, which also links Imo State, was full of stranded passengers, motorists and traders who were either afraid to go further or were held up in the holdup.

The attempt by the police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to control traffic was unsuccessful because some trucks were unable to manoeuvre out, making it difficult for cars and buses to escape the holdup.

The protesters who were marching across the streets carried sticks, barricaded the streets and entrances of the bridge, while chanting, “No Way In, No Way Out, Onitsha to Asaba Blocked. Stand Still! Soludo, We No Go Gree O, and Say No To Monday.”

This protest is a continuation of a previous protest by Main Market traders on Tuesday, after the governor announced a shutdown of the market for noncompliance with the Monday sit-at-home imposed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The governor also ordered that the market will remain closed from Tuesday to Friday and open by next Monday, an order which has not been accepted by several individuals and groups.

At the time of filing this report, security officers were making frantic efforts to checkmate restless motorists, protesters, and those likely to hijack the protest for criminal activities.