Tragedy struck at Chobe Market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on Thursday after a clash between operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and traders left one person fatally shot and several vehicles damaged.
The incident has thrown the busy market area into panic, with residents in Apata, Katako and along Bauchi Road fleeing into their homes as gunshots rang out.
How The Clash Started
According to reports, NSCDC personnel were invited by officials of the market traders' association to enforce the weekly sanitation exercise. The operatives reportedly attempted to compel roadside traders to close their shops and comply with the exercise.
However, the traders resisted, insisting they operate along the road and not inside the market, and therefore are not members of the association or bound by its directive.
“Our shops are along the road, not inside the market. We told them we are not part of their sanitation exercise, but they insisted we must close,”
The quote from trader Sani Musa explains the root cause of the disagreement that escalated into violence. Another trader, Mrs Grace John, who sells provisions near the market, alleged that the armed operatives began harassing and threatening traders before shooting started.
One Shot, Cars Vandalised, Market Deserted
Eyewitnesses said one trader was fatally shot during the confrontation, while hoodlums took advantage of the chaos to smash windscreens of vehicles parked along the road.
Our correspondent who witnessed the incident observed that within minutes, streets close to the market were deserted as residents ran inside and locked their doors. As traders regrouped to confront the operatives, the overwhelmed NSCDC team fled the scene in their vehicle.
The injured victim was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Police Yet To React
Efforts to get a reaction from the spokeswoman of the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful as his phone could not be reached as of press time.
M2NICE Editorial Note: This clash is similar to past enforcement crises in Jos Terminus and Bukuru markets, where Executive Order 3 banning street trading triggered violent confrontations. Roadside traders often claim exclusion from inner-market associations, creating a recurring enforcement gap that needs clear demarcation by JMDB and security agencies.
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