Traders lament as Plateau govt demolishes market in Jos

Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) has demolished the popular Yankeke Market located opposite Jos University Teaching Hospitals (JUTH) in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. Our correspondent gathered that the market hosted bicycle sellers, provision store owners, clothes sellers, food vendors, and other traders. According to eyewitnesses, JMDB officials arrived at the market […]

Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) has demolished the popular Yankeke Market located opposite Jos University Teaching Hospitals (JUTH) in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Our correspondent gathered that the market hosted bicycle sellers, provision store owners, clothes sellers, food vendors, and other traders.

According to eyewitnesses, JMDB officials arrived at the market around 11:30 pm with a bulldozer and began demolishing the shops, destroying property worth millions of naira in the process.

Hart Bankat, JMDB’s General Manager, had not responded to our correspondent’s inquiry on this matter as of the time of filing this report.

• Probing my father’s govt should be done with clear intention –El-Rufai’s son
• Gaza ceasefire: Hamas hands over 3 Israeli hostages in latest swap

Sadik Aliyu, vice chairman of the market, told Daily Trust they were in court with JMDB, expressing shock that the market was demolished.

He said, “There was a court judgment against the JMDB, the custodian of the market, during the last administration. The court ruled that we should renew our tenancy and be allowed to rebuild our individual shops. However, when this new government took office, they took us to court again. Although a judgment was passed against us, we promptly appealed and served them with the appeal notice. To our surprise, last night, they came and demolished the market, destroying our property worth millions of naira.”

Other traders told Daily Trust about the extent of their losses, stating that they have lost their means of livelihood in the process and appealed to the government to compensate them.

Emmanuel Dung, a bicycle seller, expressed his frustration, saying: ‘’We had an ongoing issue with JMDB, but before we could resolve it, they came in the night and destroyed our shops. This bicycle I’m holding alone is worth N1.5 million, and they destroyed it. We’re the people who voted for them, and look at what they’re doing to us.”

See pictures below: