Northerners in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State in Nigeria’s South-East, who fled their homes and places of business this morning have returned to resume normal activities, News Express can report.

As we earlier reported, their flight was occasioned by the riots that trailed the killing of a staffer of the Anambra State Transport Agency (ANSTA) who was driven away and strangled when he jumped into a commercial truck whose driver refused to stop for checks.

The shocking discovery of the murder after the truck was stopped before it could leave Onitsha inflamed passions and ignited a riot against northerners – the offending truck driver being from their part of the country.

A combined team of the Army and the Police Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) however intervened and swiftly restored law and order.

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, told newsmen that nobody was killed in the riots and confirmed that things have since normalised in the town harbouring the biggest market in West Africa.

•Photo of beggars in Upper Iweka, Onitsha, courtesy of The Punch.