Police mount surveillance as Yoruba-Hausa clash claims three in Oyo

The clash between some Hausa traders and Yoruba at the Shasha Market area of Ibadan, Oyo State, worsened towards the evening on Friday.

Three persons were reportedly killed as a result of the clash with shops and property torched by hoodlums who reportedly seized the clash to wreak havoc on innocent people.

As a result of the violence, residents were seen fleeing the troubled area around 5:30pm. Some of them said they managed to pick a few clothes and hurriedly left because they were unsure whether the violence would not escalate.

However, the police confirmed the death of one person but was silent on property destruction. Our correspondent observed that smoke emitted from the market area which is the epicentre of the clash.

Some shop owners who had closed and waiting in front of their shops told our correspondent that two persons were killed and their corpses set ablaze by some youths.

The fight was said to have been caused by a Hausa man who reportedly beat a female porter on Wednesday evening.

Our correspondent gathered that a Yoruba cobbler around the scene challenged the Hausa man for beating the pregnant woman.

City Round further learnt that the confrontation caused a disagreement and the Hausa man was said to have brought out a charm to hit the cobbler. The cobbler, it was learnt, was taken to a hospital but died on Friday morning. Eyewitnesses said the news of the cobbler’s death triggered violence as the development angered Yoruba youths in the area.

The Commissioner of Police, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko, visited the scene, but the violence seemed to have increased after her visit.

The Commandant of Amotekun Corps in the state, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), said his men were deployed to guard schools in the area to prevent pupils and staff from the attack.

He said, “Our men were deployed there since morning but they were instructed to guard the schools in the area so that hoodlums would not kill or injure the pupils and the staff.’’

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the clash, said, “It was a clash between two miscreants in which  one of the miscreant, Adeola Sakirudeen ‘m’, was hit by the other and died later while receiving treatment in an hospital.

‘‘The CP, SA security and other police tactical teams visited the scene for on-the-spot assessment. Massive police deployment and that of the sister security agencies were made to douse tension. Critical stakeholders have also been consulted to appeal to the people. Normalcy is gradually returning to the area.”