Zita Offor
All hell broke loose on Wednesday at Dei Dei Market, Abuja, when traders and commercial motorcyclists (popularly known as Okada riders) clashed following the death of a woman.
According to eyewitnesses, the woman, who was of Igbo origin, fell from a speeding motorcycle due to reckless riding and was immediately crushed by an oncoming trailer.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAngry bystanders reportedly seized the motorcycle involved in the accident and set it ablaze, despite attempts by fellow riders to prevent the act. This triggered chaos as the motorcyclists—largely of Hausa origin—mobilized and retaliated against the traders, most of whom were Igbo.
In the ensuing violence, shops at the Dei Dei Timber Market were torched. Given the highly flammable nature of wood products, the fire spread quickly, destroying goods worth millions of naira and leaving several people injured.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, confirmed that four persons lost their lives in the crisis. Speaking after inspecting the scene, he ordered the indefinite closure of the market pending investigations.
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Bello emphasized that the clash should not be misinterpreted as an ethnic or religious conflict:
“This is simply a matter of criminals and hoodlums taking the law into their hands,” Bello stated.
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