Ikoku landlords has issued over 5000 Ikoku spare parts traders at the Ikoku Spare parts market in the Mile 3 area of Port Harcourt an impromptu three weeks quit notice.
The chairman of the market, Anthony Alaribole in an interview with journalists said many of the traders who are yearly tenants have been operating in Ikoku for about 30-50 years. He said they have been thrown into confusion because of the short notice by the landlords who did not offer any reason for their actions.
He also alleged that the eviction notice is a strategy to destabilize the traders because of the matter they have with the police and the state government due to their demand of justice for the late Chima Ikwunado and the Ikoku4.
Some of the traders who spoke to us appealed to the landlords to give them more time to plan their next move as no other location has been provided for them. They also appealed to the state government to intervene and provide an alternative for them considering the important service they render to the society.
Though the Rivers State Government is yet to issue an official statement on the development, www.towncrier.ng gathered that there are moves to relocate the traders to somewhere around Eleme junction.