Traders flee as gunshots rock Wuse market

Many traders scuttled to safety on Wednesday after security operatives shot sporadically into the air at the Wuse market in Abuja.

The security operatives comprise men of the Nigeria police force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Nigerian Army.

They arrived the scene following an earlier clash between drivers in the area and men of the task force team.

The drivers had accused the task force team of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) of imposing unwarranted and unjustified levies on them.

They subsequently took the streets, protesting and burning tires on the roads. Security agents found it difficult to control the mob.

One person was reportedly killed by the task force in the morning. They were said to have fled with the corpse of the driver.

A witness, who simply identified himself as Kingsley, said the task force, had earlier arrested some of the drivers for inappropriate parking.

“They arrested some the drivers but their colleagues decided to protest the arrest and there was confusion and a member of the task fired into the air. The bullet hit a driver and the task force ran away,” he said.

Commercial activities in the market have been paralysed.

More to follow…