Benue traders protest, shut market over rising car thefts

Traders at the Makurdi Modern Market in Benue State, on Tuesday, staged a protest over what they described as the unending incidents of car theft within the market premises.

The aggrieved traders shut down business activities, lamenting that the rate at which vehicles were being stolen had reached an alarming level.

They appealed to the government to urgently probe the frequent cases of missing cars and strengthen security in the market.

When our correspondent visited, the main entrance of the market was locked.

Groups of traders, police officers, and security personnel were seen gathered outside, deliberating over the issue. Many customers who came to buy or sell goods were stranded, unable to access the premises.

According to the traders, the market would remain closed for two days as a form of protest and to draw attention to their plight, particularly the continuous disappearance of cars and other valuables.

One trader, identified as Mazi Ezenna, told journalists that reports of stolen vehicles had become a daily occurrence.

Ezenna said, “We are tired of complaining about this issue of insecurity in the market. There is no security at all. We have spoken to the government through the state Ministry of Industry.

“Just imagine, between September and November 1, no fewer than six vehicles were stolen from the market. The customer will drive his or her vehicle to the market, park it, go purchase goods, and the next thing, the car is no longer there.

“We, the traders, have lost so many cars this year in the market. So, we have decided to stay off the market for two days to enable us to think of what to do next, and for the government to provide security in and around the market.”

Efforts to obtain comments from market leaders proved abortive, as none of them agreed to speak on the matter.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Orpin Alumo, stated that the ministry had not been officially informed about any protest.

He said the only correspondence received from the market union indicated their plan to observe fasting and prayers, but without a specified date or time.

Alumo acknowledged that there were indeed security challenges in the market but assured that steps were being taken to tackle them.

According to him, the government was collaborating with the traders’ union and other stakeholders to curb the spate of thefts.

“We have had a meeting with officials of the union and other relevant stakeholders in my office, and we did agree on how to synergise and beef up security.

“However, the traders must understand that security is everybody’s business, and so they too need to join hands to tackle the problem.

“I still emphasise here that I suspect a case of sabotage because no date and time for their praying and fasting was stated in the letter.

“And when I got the letter, I still called on the chairman of the union to come with his officials for a meeting with the management of the ministry so that we could understand what exactly the problem was.

“However, we have liaised with the special adviser to the governor on security, and he has agreed to deploy men of the community volunteer guards to the market”, the commissioner said.

He appealed to the traders for patience and cooperation, adding that the state government was already making arrangements for the comprehensive rehabilitation and security overhaul of the market.