One person shot dead as NSCDC clashes with traders in Plateau market

One person was shot dead and several vehicles were damaged on Thursday after a fight broke out between Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers and traders at Chorbe Market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Traders said the clash started when NSCDC officers came to enforce the weekly sanitation exercise. Market officials had invited them to make sure traders along the roadside complied with the orders.

Traders told our reporter that they fought back, saying they were not part of the market association and should not be forced to follow its sanitation rules.

"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," said Malam Sani Musa, a trader.

Another trader, Grace John, who sells provisions near the market, said things got worse when the armed officers began to intimidate traders.

"They came with guns and started threatening us. When some of the traders refused, they started shooting. One person was shot, and during the chaos, some hoodlums smashed the windscreens of cars parked along the road," she said.

Ibrahim Yusuf, a vehicle owner whose car was damaged, expressed his frustration over the destruction.

"I just parked my car by the roadside to buy something. Before I came back, they had smashed the windscreen. Who will pay for this now?" he asked.

Our reporter learned that within minutes, streets around the market became empty as residents hurried to their homes and locked their doors.

There was chaos in surrounding areas, including Apata, Alikazaure, Katako, and Masalachi, spreading to Bauchi Road. These areas are known for frequent fights in Jos North.

The injured trader was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Attempts to contact the spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, were unsuccessful. His phone could not be reached as of the time of this report.