One person was injured and several vehicles were damaged on Thursday following a clash between operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and traders at Chorbe Market in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The confrontation reportedly occurred during a sanitation exercise at the market, leading to panic and the temporary desertion of streets around the area.
According to reports from the scene, NSCDC personnel had been invited by officials of the market traders’ association to assist in enforcing the weekly sanitation exercise.
Some roadside traders, however, reportedly resisted the directive, arguing that their shops were outside the main market and that they were not members of the association responsible for the exercise.
The disagreement reportedly escalated into a confrontation involving the security operatives and traders.
Traders alleged that some armed NSCDC personnel threatened them and opened fire during the confrontation. One person was reportedly shot and injured and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Several vehicles parked along the road were also damaged during the ensuing disorder, with windscreens reportedly smashed.
A trader, Sani Musa, told journalists that traders operating along the roadside had objected to being compelled to close their shops because they were not part of the market association.
Another trader, identified as Grace John, alleged that the situation became more tense after armed security personnel arrived at the scene.
As the confrontation intensified, residents and traders reportedly fled the area, with streets around Chorbe Market becoming deserted.
The disturbance reportedly extended to adjoining areas, including Apata, Alikazaure, Katako and Masalachi, as well as parts of Bauchi Road, where residents sought safety amid the unrest.
However, the Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency, PEPSA, gave a different account of the incident.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the agency said its personnel were conducting a routine sanitation exercise around the Chobe/Yankaji area alongside market leaders when market operators allegedly obstructed the exercise.
PEPSA said its officials were threatened and intimidated, requiring security personnel to intervene and evacuate the team and market union officials from the area.
The agency confirmed that one person sustained an injury and was receiving medical attention, but did not identify the injured person or attribute the injury to a particular individual or group.
PEPSA said the sanitation exercise was part of its statutory responsibility to maintain acceptable environmental and public-health standards in markets and other public spaces.
It appealed to traders, market leaders and residents to remain calm and resolve disagreements through dialogue and lawful channels rather than confrontation.
The agency also commended security personnel who responded to the incident and helped evacuate its officials from the area.
Efforts to obtain an immediate response from the Plateau State Police Command regarding the clash were reportedly unsuccessful at the time of filing.
The incident comes amid broader concerns about security and public order in parts of Jos North, where some of the affected areas have previously experienced communal and other forms of conflict.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, including the events that led to the reported shooting and vehicle damage.
For now, the accounts of the traders and PEPSA differ on the immediate cause and sequence of events, while the injured person’s condition and any possible arrests or disciplinary action had not been officially disclosed at the time of reporting.
