Mr Mohammad Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered the indefinite closure of the Dei-Dei international market.
The order was issued in response to a collision between commercial motorcyclists, also known as okada riders, that claimed at least four lives.
After inspecting the scene of the incident with the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji, and other security agencies, the Minister issued the order.
According to the Minister, the trouble began in the market when a female trader fell off a commercial motorcycle and was killed by an articulated vehicle.
While dismissing initial reports of a communal clash, he directed community and market leaders to identify and apprehend the hoodlums responsible for the crisis.
“What really came out clearly is that this is an accident that occurred, unfortunately when a lady on a motorcycle fell off and I think a vehicle ran over her and unfortunately she passed away,” the Minister said.
“As a result of this incident, tension was high. And then hoodlums took over. And like they do everywhere in the world, their target is economic assets. And they burnt down a substantial part of the timber market and other markets around here; they burnt many vehicles.
“This is why I came here to really say that this is an accident that occurred, that went out of hand. There’s no communal clash here and I appeal to everybody in Abuja to live as we have always lived here – in peace. Because everybody has come to this city to earn a living and the economic activities of this city, particularly this part of the city, is very vibrant. A lot of people eke their daily living here.
“What I told the community leaders is that they have to fish out the hoodlums and bad eggs among them.
“This is more unfortunate because this time around, hoodlums carried arms. And they shot innocent people. As a matter of fact, I saw four corpses; this is very sad and totally and unequivocally unacceptable in Abuja.”