FILE PHOTO: Jos residents decry high cost of consumer items.

Some residents of Jos in Plateau have lamented hike in the prices of commodities as a result of the Eid El Fitr.

Residents, who spoke in Jos on Friday, said the increase was outrageous.

Zuwaira Hamza, a housewife, resident in Katako, said that she went to the popular Faringada market to buy tomatoes but was unable to.

“The small basket of tomatoes I usually buy at the cost of N800 is now sold for N1,400, it is just too expensive,” Hamza said.

Helen Pam, a trader who buys to sell at home, said that long pepper popularly known as shombo was sold for N600 for a four-litre paint bucket before but now it is sold for N1,000.

Mariam Danni, a teacher said that a medium-sized basket of tomatoes which was sold for N1500 was now sold for N2,800.

Alhaji Gambo Umar, a tomatoes trader, said that the cost of transporting the commodities from the farm to the market was the reason for the hike in price.

“The pandemic is the reason for all these problems, the farmers now pay more money to transport goods because of the lockdown,” Umar said.

Mrs Margaret Emeka, who lives in Apata, said that the yams she bought for N1,200 before was now sold for N2,000.

At the Bukuru and Building materials market, residents were seen buying just little quantities as most commodities were unaffordable.