A 70-year-old man, identified as Abubakar Garba, has been shot dead by the enforcement team of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, in Singer Market, Kano.
The incident occurred at about 12:00 pm on Wednesday when angry traders staged protest against alleged confiscation of their commodities, worth N7million by NAFDAC.
The protest was initially peaceful as the market association invited journalists for briefing over what they termed “unlawful clampdown”.
The situation soon became tense as the irate traders started burning tyres along Bello Road in Kano metropolis, causing traffic gridlock along all the roads leading to the market.
A witness, Hamza Kwabdo, told DAILY NIGERIAN correspondent that the protest started peacefully but some angry youth in the market went violent and started burning tyres.
He added that as soon as the bonfires started, some officials of the market swiftly intervened and ordered to put out the fire.
Mr Kwabdo further said that as they were trying to quench the fire, suddenly the NAFDAC’s enforcement team arrived and started shooting sporadically to disperse the protesters.
“As they were firing the gunshots, a bullet hit a 70-year old water vendor, as he was trying to scamper for safety.
“When the gunshots stopped, we rushed to him and found that he was shot on the thigh. We then rushed him to hospital. He died hours later,” Mr Kwabdo said.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Kano State Traders Union, KASTU, Singer Market branch, Abdullahi Dauda, said the series of operations on their market by the NAFDAC officials was the reason for the protest.
He alleged that the agency had routinely laid siege to the market, confiscating their commodities on the premise that they do not bear NAFDAC registration number.
Mr Dauda said they supplied the said commodities through appropriate channels, wondering why the consignment scaled through the border without the authorities checking whether it bore the NAFDAC registration number.
“We contacted the NAFDAC but they refused to listen to us. This serial clampdown on our market has inflicted a lot of hardship on our people. Let me tell you that since the operation started, NAFDAC has confiscated our commodities worth N7 million.
“We have lost a lot of customers as a result of this operation. If we sell the contraband commodities, why do the authorities fail to check it at the borders?,” he asked rhetorically
Mr Dauda also called on the government to intervene in the matter for their business to continue flourishing.
When contacted, the NAFDAC coordinator, Kano State, Muhammad Mu’azu, said the operation was in line with the responsibilities of the agency to check the commodities that were not approved by it.
“These traders are of the habit of supplying contraband commodities at the expense of the public. These commodities are consumed by the public and we know they are not approved by us, as such, we will not allow it to be available in order to secure the lives of the people.
“It is our responsibility to check the proliferation of such commodities. Our operation is online with our sole responsibility.
“The reason why the commodities filtered into our markets is because the traders supply it through smuggling and other inappropriate ways. That is why we are trying to stop that illicit trade,” he added.
