By Patrick Obia
It was scary afternoon at popular Watt Market today as officials of the Cross River State Department of Public Transportation (DOPT) and traders clashed with traders over road side trading.
The scene started when a trader tried to struggle his goods with the task force, who were trying to seize the goods from the trader for trading by the road side.
This according to our reporter who witnessed the clash said it happened at about 2:09pm and led to one of the personnel to use koboko to whip the trader severally on his face and bare body and later dragged him into their vehicle.
The trader whose name could not be gotten was bleeding on his face and his body as a result of the whipping, other traders (males) insisted that their colleague should be dropped from the vehicle. This scene prompted the angry mobs to bang at the vehicle and later throw stones and sticks from a distance.
People ran away when two gun shot were fired into the air by an officer of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The injured trader was taken away in the car, they drove towards 11 roundabout before our reporter lost view of them which is the direction to their office.
The environment saw persons in groups complaining the decision Government have taken to deprive them of their livelihood, asking that does the Government want them to steal?
The Government of the State had said all form of road side trading should stop to avoid minor accidents. But it has been receiving outright rejection by traders.
See pictures;
Leave feedback about this