One feared killed as crisis erupts in Shasha market
One person has been reportedly killed in a renewed clash in Shasha market area of Akinyele Local Council, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
It was gathered that the deceased, identified as Idris, was allegedly killed when a fresh crisis erupted in the early hours of Saturday in the area.
According to the report, the deceased was allegedly shot by Amotekun operatives and later died on Saturday afternoon. Some of the residents that spoke with journalists, yesterday, said they were currently living in fear.
The residents and leaders in the area, however, gave conflicting narratives of what led to the fresh crisis. A resident, who pleaded anonymity, claimed that the problem was as a result of the invasion of a house by some thugs who robbed the inhabitants of their belongings.
“In the early hours of Saturday, some guys went to the house of one leader, perhaps after the man had gone to the mosque and they robbed people in the house. So, they alerted the Amotekun Corps.
“The Amotekun arrested some of these robbers but some people around the market blocked the Amotekun, saying they could not arrest their people. I think those guys wanted to attack the Amotekun before one of them was shot,” the resident explained.
Another source, however, revealed that some traders who relocated to Iroko from Shasha were the ones responsible.
“The people at Akinyele (Iroko) were the ones who sent thugs to come and attack people at Shasha here”.
“It was because Shasha is coming up again,” the source said.
HOWEVER, a source noted that the problem was connected with the commercial drivers under the aegis of the Park Management System (formerly NURTW).
The source, however, maintained that the crisis confronting Shasha might still persist if the actors and their sponsors are still “walking freely because nobody can arrest them.”
In February 2021, the Shasha market was thrown into chaos after the death of one cobbler that was preventing a woman from being harassed by a porter. Shops and nearby houses were destroyed and looted during the crisis.
The state government later relocated the market from Shasha to Iroko in the same local council. Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adewale Osifeso, when contacted, said: “Updates would be provided accordingly.”
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