The leadership crisis at the Ozomagana Building Materials Traders Association has deepened as the sacked Chairman, Obiorah Okoro has vowed that he would not be intimidated by any purported complicity of his traducers and government to use security agencies to interfere in his leadership over allegations of fraud.
Investigations revealed that Okorro was accused of sale of 430 shops at N180,000 each, amounting to a total of N70 million.

However, Okoro reacted swiftly and clarified that a total of 430 shows were sold at N180,000, totalling N70 million, while the sum of N7 million was 10 percent charge on the loan which he contended was unanimously agreed to by members at the meeting to quicken the process of obtaining the loan for the remodelling of the market.
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Okoro’s traducers joined tfe Modebe family members who own the plaza to retrieve the plaza and further end his tenure in office. The results of these offensive actions, it was learnt were that the police formations in Abuja took turns to drill Okoro over the saga. .
Investigation revealed that, based on a petitions by Modebe Enterprises Ltd (Modebe family), and a faction of the Traders Association that enjoys the support of the State Ministry of Commerce, Okoro was first arrested and taken to Abuja where he spent three weeks in detention.
On his release, he was quickly re-arrested and detained by the SIU Abuja where he spent two weeks and three days.

The third time when he was arrested and detained was at the instance of a certain prosector named Nwodo from Nsukka, Enugu State. and he spent another three weeks.

Lastly, before he regained freedom the nehest nehest of a female Judge, Okoro was again detained in Abuja for about one week. The Modebe family, he observed disclaimed the lease of the plaza as real.
According to Okoro, his refusal to unilaterally sign the lease out was reason for his several humiliations and incarcerations to force him to capitulate, noting that he and other signatories did facilitate the registration with the Corporate Affairs Comission to avoid the document being hijacked .

It was gathered that a Suit No. 0/361/2024 was initiated in 2024 with a Motion No. 0/1025M/2025 by plaintiffs such as Obiekwe Patrick, Okechukwu Muojekwu, Hon. Emeka Ohia, Chief Francis Obiagwu, Ephraim’ Okpala and Uche Ufondu for themselves and on behalf of other members of Ozomagana Building Materials Traders Association, excluding the defendants.

The suit has defendants such as Obiorah Okoro (Chairman), Chigozie Ejiofor (Treasurer), Benjamin Ubah, (Financial Secretary), Ferdinand Ifezue, Jude Nwadi, Chijioke Ugwuoke, Sunday Enudi, Hyacinth Okwuosa, Emeka Edeh, Chief Ignatius Obisi, Mrs Ozor Nkiru, Christopher Ezeanowai, Hyacinth Obasi and Ifeanyi Ani.

Amid battles from the Modebe family, and the opposition party’s move to remove him as the Chairman, a suit was filed declaring that the four-year year tenure of the first-three defendants viz: (Chairman, Treasurer and Financial Secretary) had constitutionally expired and continuation in office was unlawful and ultra views. The suit also sought an order of the court for the first three defendants to step down and an election conducted by the traders.

In addition, they sought an Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the first three defendants, their agents, privies, from parading, conducting, supervising, managing and controlling, administering the affairs and activities of the Plaintiffs/Traders/Association and parties in the suit having exhausted their legitimate tenure.

But while the case was pending, the State government intervened in the messy affair by removing the Okoro-led Executive and appointed a Caretaker Committee headed by Comrade Tochukwuu Umeh with effect from Match 17, 2025. Piqued, they sued praying the court for an Order of Interlocutory Injunction to restrain the Umeh-led Caretaker Committee, their subjects, privies, privies or assigns from parading or holding themselves out, carrying out duties/functions of the duties of an elected executive of Ozomagana until the determination of the substantive suit.

Also, they asked for an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining the plaintiffs/respondents from acting, controllin, managing, or superintending over the account, monies, revenue,and general welfare of the Traders Association . Finally, it prayed for an Order of the court directing the parties, their agents, servants, privies, assigns or cronies to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit.

When the matter came up for hearing, before Justice J. I. Nweze at the High Court Onitsha, the Judge recognized the legal right of Okoro-led executive to protect its authority, frowned upon the move by both the plaintiff and a third party, being the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Trade and Commerce, who is not a party in the suit should take an action of constituting a Caretaker Committee to undermine the authority of the court.

Justice Nweze thus ruled: “In the light of the above, the Plaintiffs, individually or collectively are hereby restrained by themselves, , their agents, privies, and assigns from holding themselves out, or acting as member of the Caretaker Committee of the Ozomagana Building Materials Traders Association or carrying out any functions of the elected executives, pending the determination of ” … Samuel Chinedu Ike Esq., Mr. Tochukwuu Umeh and Anambra State Government are hereby joined as the second set of defendants in this suit. According to the July 29, 2025 ruling of the court: “This joinder is for it to be bound by the outcome of this suit and stop intermeddling.” Meanwhile, the matter resurfaced with a petition by the current Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ozomagala Building Materials Traders Association, Comrade Umeh, accusing Okoro of allegedly diverting into his private pocket a whooping sum of money running into several millions from sale of hundreds of shops at N180,000 each in the guise of remodeling the market plaza.

A two-phase petition, sent to the state Commissioner of Police, titled: “Re-demolition of Modebe Plaza at Ozomagana Junction by Ochanja Main Market, Onitsha: Deliberate misinformation, manipulation and deceit by Mr. Obiora Okoro and his cohorts,” and dated August 6, 2p26, through their lawyer, Maduabuchi Success Nnamdi Umeachusi Esq., with a sub-heading sub-heading: “A petition against Mr. Obiora Okoro and his cohorts over a case of forgery, diversion and conversion of funds belonging to Ozomagana Building Materials Traders Association.”.

The petition recalled that Okoro was the Chairman of the market until he was sacked on January 17, 2025 by the state government on account of his alleged embezzlement and diversion of funds belonging to the association into his private pocket.

According to the petition, “after his sack and dissolution of his executive committee, the incumbent Caretaker Committee was appointed and constituted by the State Government to oversee the affairs of the Traders Association for the time-being, stressing , that Okoro purportedly misappropriated the funds during his tenure. as Chairman of the market.

“It is our clients’ brief that Okoro, after his sack and even till date, have failed and refused to account for the said money collected from members of the association. Instead, Okoro went behind to conspire with a former agent of Modebe family to falsify a Lease agreement the Market Caretaker Committee and Modebe family in respect of the aforesaid plaza to read that the said Lease agreement was between him, Okoro and the Modebe family”.

“It is our clients’ further brief that it was on the strength of the said forged Lease Agreement by Okoro that he stormed the aforesaid plaza being occupied by members of the association, demolished same and started erecting another plaza in it’s place, which is completely owned and controlled by himself”.

“…Sir, it is in the light of same that we most respectfully pray your good offices to look into this matter by investigating, arresting and bringing the suspects to book, with the aim of preventing outright break down of law and order at Ochanja Main Market along Ozomagana Junction, Onitsha, Anambra State.,” he added..

This petition is coming on the heels of the verdict of the court that the “Defendants are not by this ruling conferred with any authority to demand or collect any dues or levies due to the State Government as Internally – generated Revenue in the Ozomagala Building Materials Market . Whoever has a relief against the State Government should serve it with a pre-action notice,” the court clarifies.
Amid the commotion, the Commissioner for Commerce, Nonso Ebonwa has ordered stop work order and cessation of demolition of the structures for a facelift to alloy frayed nerves calm down and ensure economic stability… Ebonwa admitted he received a petition dated 23rd June 2026 by the, parties, promising that the Ministry would look into the matter for a peaceful resolution.