The ever-busy Mararaba area of Nasarawa State was on Saturday night thrown into confusion when members of a vigilance group stormed the area to dislodge traders that had displayed their wares under the overhead bridge.
The vigilance group, said to be working for the state government, had insisted that the traders must halt their trading activities, a directive the traders resisted, leading to a clash that sent the fear-stricken traders and their customers scampering in various directions for safety.
Our correspondent who was trapped in the melee, reports that many of the traders and other passers-by took to their heels, running into each other in the process.
Our correspondent also reports that many traders lost their goods as they were either destroyed by the vigilance group members or trampled upon by people fleeing the scene.
The situation got even worse when hoodlums took advantage of the confusion to make bonfires in the middle of the busy road, an action that disrupted vehicular movement and caused heavy traffic gridlock.
Many vehicles were destroyed in the confusion as drivers abandoned their cars in the middle of the road and ran away to avoid being caught in the crisis.
Our correspondent further reports that Policemen arrived the scene in about five pick-ups vans and shot tear gas canisters into the crisis area to disperse the protesting traders and members of the vigilance group.
One of the traders, who spoke with our correspondent, said that the fight over the “night trade” between the traders and the Nasarawa State Government officials had been on “for more than three weeks now.”