Three Feared Dead As Ethnic Clash In Ibadan Rages

The clash between some Hausa traders and Yoruba at the Shasha Market area of Ibadan became more fierce towards the evening on Friday.

Three persons were reportedly killed as a result of the clash while shops and other properties were also burnt by hoodlums who took advantage of 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 few clothes and huriedly left because they were not sure whether the violence would not spread to their houses.

However, the police confirmed the death of one person but was silent on destruction of properties.

Our correspondent observed that smoke was bellowing from the market area which is the epicentre of the clash.

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

The fight was said to have been caused by a Hausa man who reportedly beat a Yoruba woman on Wednesday evening. A Yoruba cobler around the scene was said to have challenged the Hausa man for beating a pregnant woman.

This was said to have resulted in an altercation and the Hausa man was said to have brought out a charm and hit the cobler. He was taken to hospital but he died on Friday morning.

The news of the death of the cobler was said to have triggered the violence.

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

Some of the residents said Yoruba youths were angry because of the killing of the cobler.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the clash said one person died.

He said, “It was a clash between two social 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 the tension.

“Critical Stakeholders have also been consulted to appeal to the people. Normalcy is gradually returning to the area.”