- The JMDB demolished Yankeke Market at night, destroying shops and property worth millions, despite traders claiming an ongoing court case
- Traders expressed shock and anguish, stating they lost their livelihoods and urging the government to compensate them for their losses
The Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) has demolished the popular Yankeke Market, located opposite Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The market, known for housing bicycle sellers, provision store owners, clothing vendors, food sellers, and other traders, was reduced to rubble late at night.
Eyewitnesses reported that JMDB officials arrived at the market around 11:30 p.m. with a bulldozer and began demolishing the shops, destroying property worth millions of naira.
JMDB General Manager Hart Bankat has not responded to inquiries on the demolition at the time of filing this report.
Sadik Aliyu, vice chairman of the market, expressed shock over the demolition, stating that they were still in court with JMDB.
“There was a court judgment against JMDB during the last administration, which ruled that we should renew our tenancy and rebuild our shops. But when the new government took office, they took us to court again.
Although the ruling was against us, we quickly appealed and served them with the appeal notice. Yet, they still went ahead and demolished the market overnight, destroying property worth millions of naira,” Aliyu said.
Other traders lamented the sudden destruction, saying they had lost their means of livelihood. They urged the government to compensate them for their losses.
Emmanuel Dung, a bicycle seller, expressed his frustration, saying: “We had an unresolved issue with JMDB, but before we could settle it, they came at night and destroyed our shops.
This bicycle I’m holding alone is worth N1.5 million, and they destroyed it. We voted for them, and this is what they are doing to us.”
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