Street trading: C’River agency officials allegedly kill trader in Calabar 

Judex Okoro, Calabar

Tragedy struck the popular Watt Market in Calabar South as the Department of Public Transportation, (DOPT), pick up van crushed a trader in front of Calabar Post Office near the market while trying to enforce no-road-side-trading law.

This brings to two the number of traders that have died in the process of the agency fighting against the new trend of street trading in Calabar metropolis.

The latest incident, which took place on Friday in Calabar was as a result the deceased simply identified as Micheal, trying to stop the government agency from going away with his impounded wares around post office axis.

Late Michael, a father of five, was said to have been overrun by the agency’s vehicle that was trying to escape from mob attack.

It was learnt that, Michela, angry that his wares were impounded and being taken away, jumped on top of the burnet of the pickup van and was subsequently crushed by the agency driver.

A witness, who simply gave her name as Lizzy, said DOPT had arrived at the post office axis and immediately started packing people’s wares that were displayed around the roadside.

“They packed Michael’s slippers which were in the wheel barrow but the young man fell down and pleaded with them to release his goods. It was at that point that two of the DOPT workers descended on him. They pushed him around and finally when Michael fell down, the DOPT driver ran over him and he died instantly,” Lizzy narrated.

“At that point, pandemonium broke out as everybody took to their heels, including the DOPT men.  But some traders returned and decided to take the dead body to the DOPT office near Governor’s office.”

Another witness, Asuquo said the agency killed another trader along Marain Road two weeks ago, wondering why an agency that was established to maintain discipline on the road had turned around to target traders in the state.

It was further learnt that the youths and some traders were so piqued by the death of Michael that they later mobilised and attempted taking the corpse on top of a cab to DOPT office around Governor Office axis.

But the intervention of the officers from Atakpa Police Division, led by Mr. Horsefall, saved the situation as he was able to persuade them to report the incident to the Atakpa Police Station.

He advised them not to take the laws into their hands; the situation would have been different as the youths were ready to burn down the DOPT office.

When our correspondent went to the office of the DOPT, the Director-General, Mr  Goddy Nyiam, was not around just as the staff had deserted the place while a few around had removed their official uniform for fear of reprisal attack by the angry traders.

When contacted on phone he said he was not aware of the killing as he was at the VIO training.

Confirming the incident, the Cross River Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo, said the report at the police disposal was that while the DOPT team were trying to enforce the street trading law, the traders first attacked them and in attempt to run away for safety the late Michael was said to have blocked the their pick up van and in the process the vehicle ranover him and he died.