The city centre of Jos, Plateau State, also known as Terminus, was thrown into confusion on Wednesday as a policeman was shot dead and five others injured in an attempt by the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to clear the area of illegal traders.
Recall that the Plateau State Government, through Executive Order Number 3, banned the indiscriminate display of wares and goods within the business area to ensure a free flow of traffic.
It was learned that the JMDB, along with security agencies, mostly the police and men of the NCSDC, had gone to effect the order when the traders suddenly went berserk and confronted officials of the Board and the security men.
In the melee that ensued between the security agencies and the traders, the police released canisters of tear gas to scare the traders and the hoodlums who were out to resist arrest.
An eyewitness, Ibrahim Garuba, said that in the process of trying to disperse the crowd, the security men shot into the air, and a stray bullet hit one of the policemen, who died instantly, while five of the traders sustained fatal injuries.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alfred Alabo, who confirmed the death of the police officer, said the man was shot by an unidentified man from the crowd.
He denied the information that the police officer was shot by one of his colleagues, adding that the gunshot came from the crowd and that he was certified dead at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital.
The spokesman further added that the command has commenced an investigation into the incident with the aim of bringing the culprit to justice.
Meanwhile, normalcy has been restored to the troubled part of the city centre while security men are still combing the area to fish out those behind the attack on the officials of the JMDB and security agencies.
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