Lagos - Some parts of the Mile 12 market and environs in Kosofe
Local Government Area of Lagos, yesterday, were tension-soaked following
fresh killings by armed hoodlums suspected to be from the Northern part of the
country. Four persons were reported killed in the renewed midnight ethnic
clash which started on Wednesday night. Saturday Vanguard gathered that in
spite of the curfew imposed in the area, some armed men arrived at the
early hours of yesterday through the canal and destroyed some shops in the
market. Some homeless persons sleeping in the market and adjourning streets
were suspected to have been killed.
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| Ketu-traders |
A resident, who simply gave his name as Oluwatimileyin, said: “ The
Hausa men crossed the Agilinti river with canoe and attacked residents of
an estate at Isheri North, last night. They even burnt some buildings”.
Irked by the invasion, some armed Yoruba youths
converged close to the market in readiness for another clash at about
1pm. The irate youths, who chanted war songs attempted to invade the
market and destroy shops belonging to Hausa traders. But they
were dispersed by security operatives with tear gas cannisters.
Consequently, residents in the affected streets have been fleeing their
abodes, following alleged threats by some Hausa youths to set their houses on
fire at midnight. Also, Hausa residents in the area have abandoned their
homes for fear of being caught in the ethnic war. The popular Mile 12
market was Thursday, turned into a theatre of war, during which no fewer
than 12 persons were killed and several others injured. What started like a
storm in a tea cup on Tuesday, snowballed into a big fracas two days later.
The ongoing crisis which began with a verbal confrontation
took a violent twist after a commercial motorcyclist popularly
called okada hit a female trader. Consequently, the popular Mile 12
market was shut by the state government, with curfew imposed on four
neighbouring streets: Maidan, Agilinti 1, Agilinti 2 and Oniyanrin, close
to the market.
How it happened
According to eye witnesses’ account, a commercial motorcyclist from the
northern part of the country who was riding against traffic hit one of
the residents, a Yoruba woman who sustained severe injuries. This attracted
sympathy from co-residents, who argued that she should be taken to a nearby hospital
at the expense of the rider.
The Okada rider bluntly refused the idea and called his colleagues from
the same ethnic group, during which a fight ensued. This matter was
amicably settled by some community leaders. Unfortunately, the victim passed on
the following day, a development that drew the anger of the woman’s friends and
subsequently led to fresh crisis on Thursday.
On that Thursday most of those who became victims of the clash were
commuters either going or returning from work. Sensing danger, the Okada
rider’s friends and other co-okada riders from the Northern extraction
re-mobilised and positioned themselves in various places wielding dangerous
weapons to attack the Yoruba. The news spread such that some hoodlums took
advantage of the situation by proceeding to Mile 12 market to vandalise and
loot the traders’ shops.
On noticing the development, the Hausa also strategised to torch and
vandalise vehicles and buildings and by the time the dust settled, no fewer
than 12 lives were lost while 12 buildings, 10 vehicles and other valuable
items were destroyed.
Victims’ accounts
Some of the victims, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard, condemned the
belated response of the Police at Mile 12 Division. “The Police at Mile
12 did not respond on time and when they eventually arrived the scene, they
could not stop the raging war,’’ Mr Igba Andrew, one of the victims, who was
badly injured and who also had his two-year-old son kidnapped
during the incident said: “I was at home when some Hausas came with guns, broken
bottles and matchetes and forcefully took my son away and up till now, his
whereabouts remain unknown,”
A clergy, Pastor Adekunle Tanimowo, had his only building, church and
car razed. ‘’I am left with nothing and only God can restore me. I was in the church
preparing for the day’s event when my wife screamed in the house and I rushed
to attend to her but to our surprise, some men were seen afar off conversing in
Hausa language and we sensed danger. Without wasting time, we fled the scene
with our children and while hiding somewhere, I got a call from somebody who
alerted me that all our properties have been torched by the attackers.”
They left me when I spoke Hausa –
Survivor
Another victim, Mr Kunle Afariogun, who escaped death by the whiskers
said he ran into the hoodlums on his way back from work. ‘’Thank God I
understand Hausa language, if not, only God knows what would have happened to
me. I was on my way home when I ran into them and they asked me if I were an
Hausa man and I answered in the affirmative. But they were not convinced and
asked me to start speaking in Hausa Language which I did and they responded in
Hausa Language ‘he is one of us, don’t kill him.’’’
A resident of Agilinti, Mrs Oluwakemi Ologbon, who is presently seeking
refuge in Ikorodu, said she was scared to return to the area. ‘’My husband is
taking refuge with his friend while I am taking refuge with my elder sister.
Yesterday’s experience was a signal that Boko Haram has infiltrated Lagos and
the government must act fast. Thank God I escaped with all my children but what
about so many people who have lost their means of livelihood? Six buildings to
my house were razed when I fled with my family but my husband decided to stay
elsewhere while we all came to Ikorodu,” she said.
Residents flee homes over possible
reprisal attacks
When Saturday Vanguard visited the community, it was gathered that many
residents had left their homes in order to avoid been lynched by the
hoodlums. A resident, Motunrayo, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on phone
said: “I have left for Mowe. And I am not the only one who has left the
community. Some members of the community had gone as far as Ibadan. I don’t
want to die. I believe that going to Mowe will help me evade any attack.”
On how she escaped, she said: “We moved through the bush path. And on
getting to Isheri-Osun axis, we boarded vehicles to our respective
locations.” Motunrayo noted that they would not return until there was
strong assurance from the government and the traditional rulers of both communities
that normalcy has returned.
Ambode meets traditional rulers in
crisis location
Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, met with traditional
leaders of Mile 12 and environs, to find ways of resolving the ongoing fracas,
24 hours after declaring curfew in the area. At the meeting held behind
closed doors in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, sources said that Ambode who was
represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Tunji Bello,
asked the traditional rulers to instruct their people to sheathe their swords
in order for peace to return to the community.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that the Governor assured the
traditional rulers that the government was working with the security operatives
to end the frequent face-off between the Hausa and Yoruba communities in the
axis. In an interview with Saturday Vanguard, Baale of Maidan-Mile 12,
Babatunde Ogunjobi, said that the crux of our meeting was on the ongoing crisis
in Mile 12, saying “we used the opportunity to express our displeasure over the
crisis rocking our community.’’
However, armed security men have been strategically positioned to ward
off any reprisal attack. Saturday Vanguard gathered over 50 persons were
arrested yesterday in connection with the crisis and were currently being detained
at the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation
Department,SCIID. Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command , Dolapo
Badmus, said there was no fresh killing yesterday.
Vanguard
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