Akure was engulfed in protest on Saturday following the tragic murder of 27-year-old trader, Ezeani Ebuka, by a soldier.
Traders flooded the streets of Arakale, in the metropolis, to express their outrage over the killing of their fellow members by military personnel.
The Arakale thoroughfare was barricaded by the protesting traders, demanding justice for the slain individual.
For over two hours, both commercial and vehicular activities ground to a halt in the area due to the distressing incident.
According to sources, unidentified military personnel stormed the market after a dispute arose between one of them and the victim regarding payment for services rendered.
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Allegedly, amidst the altercation, the soldier fatally stabbed the trader, resulting in immediate death.
A market leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the barbaric incident and urged military authorities to apprehend the culprit and hand them over to the police for prosecution.
Fortunately, the timely intervention of police detectives from the state police command prevented further escalation of the situation, although commuters faced hours of disruption on the road.
Confirming the incident, Funmi Odunlami, spokesperson for the state police command, acknowledged the killing of the trader by a soldier. Odunlami affirmed the police’s collaboration with military authorities to identify and apprehend the perpetrator(s).