A protest erupted in Kara Market, Bukuru town, in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State on Friday as cattle traders in the market demonstrated against the state government’s move to evacuate them from the market.
The state government, through the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), gave the cattle traders on Monday two weeks’ ultimatum because the government is building a stadium in the area.
Grassroots Parrot gathered that the former Governor David Jang administration had proposed a new cattle market for the traders, who were asked to relocate to the Gero or Sabongida area.
But the traders insisted that relocating them from the current cattle market would put their lives in danger due to the ethno-religious crisis in the state for many years.
READ ALSO: Man Storms Plateau Bank With IED, Demands N100m To Avoid Bomb Detonation
The cattle traders also argued that Kara Market served as a center of unity where people from different ethnic groups converged for business transactions.
The traders led by Hamza Ahmad Yusuf, the youth leader of the market, told newsmen on Friday that though they were not against the government’s policies, it was paramount to have a rethink over the consequences for them.
He said, “The people of Bukuru still hold fresh in their minds the horror of the discoveries made by the Nigerian Army when they uncovered a shallow grave containing the remains of missing Maj. Gen. Idris Alkali (rtd), cattle vans, motorcycles, and other belongings of our members, which were found alongside the General’s car in a pond at Dura Du.
“We have not forgotten what happened at our former graveyard in Gero Community a few years back, when those attending burials were beaten, some killed, and corpses were exhumed and mutilated. These incidents are casting doubts in our minds as regards our safety if we relocate to the mentioned areas.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Plateau Speaker Swears In APC Lawmakers
“We in the affected community are not challenging the government’s decision to relocate the cattle market, but in view of the security challenges posing threats to our lives in the state, where the government’s role is to protect lives and property and promote the socio-economic wellbeing of its citizens, we are appealing for consideration of our plight.”
The traders, however, appealed to the state government to reverse its planned decision and allow them to continue with their business at the current cattle market in the spirit of peace, unity, and the development of the state.
