Four traders have reportedly died during an anti-northerners’ protest at Oil Mill Market in the Rumuokwurusi area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with community leaders alleging targeted attacks and widespread looting during the unrest.
Leaders of the Hausa community stated that several shops belonging to northern traders were looted and vandalised during the unrest.
The Chairman of the Hausa Community in Rivers State, Musa Saidu, told journalists yesterday that the deaths occurred amid chaos that engulfed the major market, leaving families devastated and livelihoods destroyed.
“Our members were not involved in any wrongdoing. They were traders trying to earn a living when violence broke out,” he said. “We counted four bodies and saw several shops ransacked.”
However, Saidu urged restraint, warning that reprisals would only deepen divisions.
“Retaliation will not solve anything. We must allow security agencies to do their job,” he added, stressing that northerners in the state are largely artisans, traders, and workers contributing to the local economy.
Another community representative expressed similar concerns, stating that northern residents deserve equal protection under the law.
“We are citizens carrying out lawful businesses. We cannot be made scapegoats for isolated incidents,” he said.
The crisis has been linked to earlier tensions following the death of an indigene, Nchelem Festus, in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Festus was reportedly stabbed during a confrontation with a northern commercial motorcyclist over a motorcycle allegedly removed from a shop owned by northerners. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Consequently, protests erupted in parts of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, with demonstrators accusing northern motorcycle operators of involvement in Festus’ death and broader criminal activities.
Protesters blocked the Port Harcourt International Airport Road and demanded a ban on commercial motorcycle operations by northern riders.
Tensions escalated days later following another fatal dispute at Oil Mill Market. A wheelbarrow pusher identified as Zakara Afaaruwu allegedly stabbed a trader from Benue State, Higightor Wenem, during an argument over trading space.
The incident reportedly reignited hostilities and triggered renewed attacks on shops owned by northerners.
Rivers State Police authorities confirmed Afaaruwu’s arrest, noting that he remains in custody pending investigation and possible prosecution. The command also assured residents that security deployments had been reinforced to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the command had yet to verify claims of four deaths directly linked to the protest.
“At this time, I do not have information confirming four fatalities as alleged,” she told The Guild, adding that investigations were ongoing.
The unfolding developments have heightened concerns over ethnic relations and public safety in Rivers State, particularly in key commercial centres such as Oil Mill Market.
Community stakeholders are now calling for dialogue, intelligence-driven policing, and proactive engagement to forestall further violence and restore public confidence.
