Lagos: Killings continue in Mile 12 ethnic clash
ON MARCH 5, 20164:57 AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS
By Evelyn Usman, Bose Adelaja and Monsuru Olowoopejo
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.
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.
She
said “the police have dominated the place since Thursday. We are also
assisted by the Nigerian Army. We have almost 141 people arrested in
connection with the case and we will charge them to court. The suspects
were arrested since yesterday (Thursday ) up to the early hours of this
morning (yesterday) . Investigation is still ongoing” http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/lagos-killings-continue-in-mile-12-ethnic-clash/
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