There was a pandemonium on Tuesday as soldiers went on rampage, beating anyone in sight in Mararaba, a border town with the Federal Capital Territory.
An eye witness account said trouble began when the soldiers, who were suspected to be intoxicated, stormed the popular Mararaba market bus stop to disperse those selling by the roadside.
There was traffic congestion on Abuja-Keffi Road on Tuesday due to the high number of people shopping for the Christmas celebration.
The number of sellers and buyers increased on the road leading to some sellers taking to the road side and the pedestrian bridge.
Many motorists had hectic time passing through the road, which leads to many states in the North-East and North-Central zone.
To control the situation the soldiers resorted to force by using horsewhip on anybody in sight.
Many civil servants returning from office and those who went to the main market were caught in the ensued melee.
The eye witness said, “They (soldiers) beat anyone in sight. They did not even care if you have a baby strapped to your back or not. Is it an offence to make use of a pedestrian bridge as a law abiding citizen? I went to the main market to buy food items for my family with my youngest daughter on my back. It was an ugly scene.”
A student, who identified himself simply as Bisi and who said he was also caught in the stampede said, “They beat us to the extent that people started falling on themselves. In the process of escaping from their horsewhip, I fell down and hurt my hand. I sustained an injury in the process. But the number of crowd running for safety made me to quickly get up and looked for an escape route. Here I am nursing my injury for no fault of mine.
“The soldiers did not even give notice at all. They took everybody by surprise.
A trader who did not mention her name said she lost some of her goods because some buyers escaped with them when they saw the surging crowd with soldiers coming after them.
“They did not wait to pay me. I also fled the scene only to brave the odd by coming back for my remaining scattered goods,” she said.
source: nigerianeye
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