A police officer attached to the task force team of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMBD), enforcing the clearing of the Jos Main Market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, was on Wednesday morning, shot dead by another officer in the team.
According to eyewitnesses, the security agents and taskforce officials had been battling to clear the area of street trading in the past weeks but with resistance from the traders who confronted the team leading to a mobile police officer shooting into the air to scare the traders away but unfortunately, the bullet hit one of his colleagues leading to his tragic death.
Though there were contradictory versions of the incident, one of the traders who gave her name as Amina Mohammed said:
“There was tension and confusion at the Main Market and Ahmadu Bello Way behind Zenith Bank in Jos North this morning at about 11: 30 am on Wednesday.
“From what I gathered, some of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board task force officials and security agencies came this morning to carry out enforcement of the state law banning street hawking.
“You know they have been facing resistance from some of the traders.
“So, in an attempt to maintain law and order, a Mobile Police officer fired a shot and the stray bullet hit his colleague on duty, creating panic in the process. I learnt that although the victim was taken to the hospital, he later died.”
Another trader who gave his name as Haruna, put the blame on the hoodlums whom he said had vowed not to vacate the area despite the enforcement drive.
“Many of the hoodlums were lurking around this morning. And suddenly, we heard a gunshot when the security agents were trying to disperse some traders who had started displaying their wares on the roadside against the instruction of the taskforce officials.
“Unfortunately, the bullet hit one of the policemen who I learnt later died after he was rushed to the hospital.”
The Plateau State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Alabo Alfred, who confirmed the incident, said an investigation had begun to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Yes, we are aware of the incident at the Terminus Market. Right now, we are in the office of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board over the matter. So, we are investigating it,” he told journalists.
