A policeman and a trader lost their lives after a gang war broke out in Minna, Niger State. The clash led also led to the destruction of property.

The clash, a regular occurrence, is usually between youths of different areas who use Minna as their battlefield.

Security men were able to quell the clash between youths from Limama and Ogbomoso which started on Thursday and spread to Friday.

On Friday morning, they regrouped and disrupted the Minna central area dispersing business owners who hurriedly locked their shops and scampered to safety.

It was gathered that during the clash, a trader whose shop is located at Ogbomoso road was stabbed and he later died in a hospital.

There are conflicting reports on how the policeman died. While some people said he was mistakenly killed by his colleague, others insisted that he died during the clash.

The policeman was said to have been among those drafted to the area to quell the clash and protect the residents and passers-by. Most of the shops in the area have remained closed.

Gang war is frequent in Minna, throwing residents and commuters into panic. The fights occur on major roads and the gang members freely use stones and knives.

Residents and passers-by had been attacked, injured, robbed and car windscreens destroyed in the past when the clashes took place.

Efforts to get the state police command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, to comment on the issue were futile. He didn’t respond to calls made to his mobile and had also yet to respond to a text message as of press time.

(The PUNCH)