There was pandemonium in Port Harcourt on Tuesday afternoon as a clash between personnel of the Rivers Taskforce on illegal markets and motor parks and traders at Creek road and parts of Bonny Street led to the death of one person.
Sources told theportcitynews that several persons including members of the task force were equally injured during the clash.
The sources said the victim, a trader of Northern extraction was macheted to death, sparking protests in the area.
It was gathered the victim whose name could not be ascertained at press time died immediately from his wounds.
Trouble started when personnel of the task force stormed the area in the morning and carted away chickens displayed by some of the traders.
Sources in the area said the taskforce personnel later came back after few hours and allegedly broke windscreens of lorries parked closed to a yam zone in the area.
A confrontation between the taskforce personnel and the traders led to the death of the trader.
It was, however, gathered that security operatives have been dispatched to the area to maintain law and order.
A match by the traders to the office of Rivers State taskforce to register their grievances was blocked by the police patrolling the area.
When contacted, the public relations officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, did not respond to enquiries for comment.
