Minister of the FCT Mohammad Bello has ordered the indefinite closure of Dei-Dei International Market following a clash between commercial motorcyclists aka Okada and traders.
Bello gave the order after inspecting the scene of the incident with FCT commissioner of police Sunday Babaji and others.
Trouble started in the market when a female trader fell off a commercial motorcycle and was crushed to death by a vehicle.
“The community and market leaders must fish out hoodlums and bad eggs among them, unfortunately this time around hoodlums carry arms and they shot innocent people,” he said.
“As a matter of fact, I saw four corpses this is very sad and totally, unequivocally unacceptable in Abuja.
“We have agreed with security agencies that full scale investigations will be done, and the communities have to be part and parcel of the solution or else there will be no peace.
“In the interim, the timber market and the surrounding markets, including all the activities on road that have clustered the road and made it unpassable will all stop untill the technical team reviews everything, and then we will take the next decision.”
Vice chairman, Timber Shed Market Dei-Dei, Ifeanyi Chibata, told the minister and his team that 45 to 50 shops were burnt with 25 vehicles set ablaze which total over N1 billion.
Also, secretary of Tomato and Onion Sellers Association Dei-Dei, Dahiru Mani, disclosed that four persons were killed during the clash in the market.
He appealed to the minister to ensure the provision of a police division with adequate personnel in the market.
