TheCable

Three people have been reportedly killed in a protest by Owerri indigenes in Imo state following the demolition of a popular market by the state government.

The incident happened on Saturday at Eke Onunwa market in the state capital.

The traders were said to have started protesting shortly after the demolition of the market, leading to public disorder.

NAN reports that the situation escalated when one of the protesters, a young man, was hit and killed by a stray bullet fired by security operatives deployed to restore order.

The death of the protester angered Owerri natives who proceeded to set fire to the property belonging to some residents.

This led to a fight between the residents and the protesters, resulting in the death of two others.

Andrew Enwerem, spokesman of the state police command, could not confirm the casualty. He told NAN that he is out of the state at the time of the incident.

Rochas Okorocha, Imo state governor, had issued an evacuation order to the traders advising them to relocate to a new site to make way for development at the market site.

But the natives were said to have resisted the order.

However, the market was demolished in the middle of the night by bulldozers already stationed at the scene.

Military and police personnel have been deployed to the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order.