Four persons were murdered on Wednesday at Abuja’s Dei–Dei International Market in a conflict between commercial motorcycles and traders.
FCT Minister Mohammad Bello has now ordered the market’s indefinite shutdown.
After viewing the scene of the event with FCT Commissioner of Police Sunday Babaji, Director of State Security Services, other sister security agencies, and top FCT Administration officials, Bello issued the order.
Trouble began at the market when an unidentified female merchant fell from a commercial motorbike and was crushed to death by an articulated vehicle.
The minister charged the community and market leaders with finding the thugs responsible for the incident.
” The community and market leaders must fish out hoodlums and bad eggs among them, unfortunately, this time around hoodlums carry arms and they shot innocent people.
”As a matter of fact, I saw four corpses this is very sad and totally unequivocally unacceptable in Abuja.
“We have agreed with security agencies that full-scale investigations will be done, and the communities have to be part and parcel of the solution or else there will be no peace.
” In the interim the timber market and the surrounding markets, including all the activities on-road that have clustered the road and made it unpassable will all stop until the technical team reviews everything, and then we will take the next decision.”
Bello said that there was no tribal or religious misunderstanding because all the leaders of various communities have lived in peace for many years.
” This is simply the matter of criminals and hoodlums taking the laws into their hands.” he said.
The Vice-Chairman, Timber Shed Market Dei-Dei, Ifeanyi Chibata however, told the minister and his team that 45 to 50 shops were burnt with 25 vehicles set ablaze which total over one billion naira.
Also, the Secretary Tomato and Onion Sellers Association Dei-Dei, Dahiru Mani confirmed that four persons were killed during the clash in the market.
He appealed to the minister to ensure the provision of a police division with adequate personnel in the market.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police restored normalcy in the Dei-Dei town of the Bwari Area Council.