Clash At Enugu Market Leaves Three Traders D£ad, Several !njured
Clash At Enugu Market Leaves Three Traders Dead, Several Injured
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, also left several others seriously injured, SaharaReporters gathered.
At least three traders of Hausa descent were reportedly killed in a violent clash at the New Artisan Market in Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, also left several others seriously injured, SaharaReporters gathered.
Eyewitnesses said the confrontation began after some traders accused one of their members of armed robbery and attempted to stone him to death.
“From what we understand, one Hausa trader was identified as robbing people every night. So on Tuesday, some fellow Hausa traders at the New Artisan Market stormed to his house and dragged him out,” Yusuf Usman, an eyewitness, told SaharaReporters.
The situation escalated when another group of traders attempted to rescue the accused man, triggering a retaliatory attack that resulted in two additional deaths and left one person seriously injured.
“The attempt to rescue the trader now led to a serious clash among the traders after the suspected armed robber was stoned to death,” Usman added.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State government has commenced the demolition of the Hausa quarters inside the New Artisan Market, citing security concerns.
“As we speak, Enugu State government’s bulldozers are currently levelling our residents. Some people did not even remove a pin inside their houses, and they levelled them,” a source told SaharaReporters.
The government alleges that the market has turned into a hotspot for armed robbery, kidnapping, and illegal drug activities.
“This alarming transformation led the state government to take decisive action, razing the area to the ground,” Uche Anya, Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), said.
“There are even cells for kidnappers hidden within the market.”
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ attempts to reach the Enugu State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages seeking comment on the incident.
