A police officer attached to the Jos Metropolitan Development Board’s enforcement unit reportedly died after being shot at a popular Jos Market.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at the Terminus Market in Jos North Local Government Area, where security officers and taskforce officials have been struggling to cleanse the area of street trader for weeks.
Some market traders who corroborated the shooting and killing of the police officer to the press in Jos, however, presented differing accounts of what caused the terrible incident.
A trader named Amina Mohammed said, “There was tension and confusion at the Terminus Market and Ahmadu Bello Way behind Zenith Bank in Jos North this morning at about 11:30 am. 22/05/2024
“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.
“I learned that although the victim was taken to the hospital,” he later died.
Another trader, simply identified as Haruna, blamed the death of the cop on hoodlums, whom he said had vowed not to vacate the area despite the enforcement drive.
“Many of the hoodlums were lurking around this morning. 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 instructions of the task force officials.
“Unfortunately, the bullet hit one of the policemen, who I learned later died after he was rushed to the hospital,” Haruna stated.
Alabo Alfred, the Plateau State Police Command Spokesperson, 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,” the police spokesman said.
