Minister Mohammed Bello, advised to re-open the Dei Dei market

Following the incident that happened on Wednesday, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has asked Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Malam Muhammad Bello to reopen the Dei Dei market and find a way of resolve the crisis and rebuild the infrastructures that was destroyed.

HURIWA said it was an insult to the principle of natural justice that two parties were involved in an uproar, but instead of making peace and creating harmony and reconciliation, the authority decided to support one of the militants out of religious motives.

The rights group said the role of a Federal Republic of Nigeria minister is one of service without bitterness or sectarianism as ministers are appointed for all of Nigeria.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, who is constitutionally the Governor of the FCT, to ask his subordinate, the FCT Minister, to adopt a solution that will not be seen as favoring one party in a two-party struggle simply because the preferred party accounts for almost 100 percent Muslims who share the same belief system with the minister.

“Leadership must not bow to religious or ethnic sentiment. Leadership must be altruistic, nationalistic, fair and just, and the Minister, who for years has worked harmoniously with people of all faith systems and ethnicities, should not now be remotely involved in some sort of history of open but shameful partiality and crude bias. "

The FCT minister on Wednesday ordered the immediate closure of the Dei-Dei International Building Material Market after yesterday's violence that led to the death of four people.

Trouble began in the market when an unidentified female trader reportedly fell off a commercial motorcycle and was crushed to death by an oncoming vehicle.

Other traders from the market then burned the motorcycle and accused the biker of reckless driving. However, their action sparked a reprisal from Okada riders in the area, who regrouped in large numbers and went to the wooden area of the market to set it on fire.

While the FCT Minister was inspecting the scene of the incident involving FCT Police Commissioner Sunday Babaji, the Director of State Security Services, along with other sister security agencies and top FCT administration officials, ordered the market to be closed indefinitely.

Bello then instructed the community and the market leaders to fish out the crooks responsible for the crisis.

Source