Sophia Michaels
On Monday, serious tension rose and boiled over in the Bukur town of Jos South local government area of Plateau State.
The tension spread after one person was shot dead while two others were injured during an operation by a combined security task force comprising Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Police and Operation Rainbow, enforcing the law banning roadside trading.
Following the incident, angry youths blocked roads and burnt tyres, a situation that scared residents of Bukur general area.
The Youth leader of Bukuru Community, Bello Muhammad, who confirmed the killing to our correspondent, said the incident started around 2:00pm.
He added that more than five vehicles were set ablaze by the angry youth.
Muhammed said, “Some traders were going about their normal businesses, when suddenly armed security personnel deployed by JMBD descended on them.
They shot three of our younger brothers, killed one, while two others got injured.
The deceased’s father, Musa Aliyu said his son, 30, was transacting cellphone business in the area prior to the incident.
He added that his son was not trading on the road when the security operatives allegedly shot him.
“I am the father of Muhammad Nasiru. The security operatives went to the area where my son and other people were selling phones, destroying the cardboards used to display the phones. I was called and informed that he and others had been shot, and that Nasiru had died,” the father said.
The Spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, is yet to respond to inquiries by our correspondent as at the time of filing this report.
