Two Feared Dead, Scores Injured As Scavenger, POS Dispute Sparks Violence In Ibadan

 

Two Feared Dead, Scores Injured As Scavenger, POS Dispute Sparks Violence In Ibadan

No fewer than two persons were feared killed while scores of others sustained injuries on Wednesday after a dispute allegedly involving a scavenger and a Point-of-Sale (POS) operator degenerated into violent clashes in Ojo, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

 

The unrest, which paralysed commercial activities and forced hundreds of residents to flee, prompted the deployment of police and military personnel to restore order.

 

The Oyo State Government appealed for calm, urging residents to refrain from reprisals while security agencies investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

 

Although eyewitnesses claimed that at least four persons were killed, the state government said only two deaths had been officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report, adding that investigations were still ongoing.

 

The incident has attracted the attention of the state government, traditional rulers, community leaders, the police and the military, all of whom maintained that the violence was a criminal matter and should not be given an ethnic interpretation.

 

 

 

An eyewitness, Azeez Olamiposi, alleged that the crisis began late Tuesday night when a commercial tricycle rider visited a POS operator in the Sabo area of Ojo to make a cash withdrawal.

 

According to him, the transaction became contentious after a network failure prevented confirmation of payment, even though the rider had already collected the cash.

 

Olamiposi said the rider repeatedly assured those present that he had no intention of absconding and offered his tricycle, its key and his mobile phone as collateral pending the resolution of the failed transaction.

 

“He kept saying, ‘This is my Maruwa, this is the key and this is my phone. Keep them. I’m not running anywhere,’” the eyewitness recalled.

 

He alleged that while efforts were being made to resolve the issue, another individual suddenly intervened and fatally attacked the rider.

 

“Someone suddenly came, slapped him and stabbed him repeatedly until he died,” he claimed.

 

The eyewitness further alleged that despite the victim’s repeated pleas, several persons joined in assaulting him and that he was not immediately taken to the hospital.

 

“They didn’t rush him to the hospital immediately. By the time he was eventually taken there, he had already died,” he said.

 

According to Olamiposi, the situation escalated on Wednesday morning when residents gathered to seek an explanation over the alleged killing.

 

“When people came to find out what had happened, others rushed to the scene and fighting broke out,” he said.

 

He further alleged that an armed man, whose identity he could not verify, appeared at the scene carrying an AK-47 rifle while dressed in a blue jalabiya.

 

The witness claimed that another armed individual, identified only by the nickname “General,” subsequently opened fire during the confrontation, killing a young boy said to have been on his way to buy food, while several other persons sustained injuries.

 

The allegations made by the eyewitness could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

 

Expressing frustration over the incident, Olamiposi demanded justice and further alleged that security agencies were aware of a nearby location allegedly being used as a hideout by criminal elements.

 

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of Akinyele Local Government Area, Akinwole Akinleyele, appealed for calm, insisting that the incident should not be viewed through an ethnic lens.

 

“This has nothing to do with ethnicity. It is simply a case of criminality,” he said.

 

Akinleyele disclosed that security agencies had already made arrests and that investigations were ongoing.

 

“The police and the military are here. Arrests have been made, and I am confident they will get to the root of the matter,” he stated.

 

He acknowledged that incidents involving persons from different ethnic backgrounds could easily assume ethnic dimensions in a multicultural community but urged residents to reject such narratives.

 

The council chairman also disclosed that leaders of both the Hausa and Yoruba communities had commenced dialogue aimed at preventing further violence.

 

Speaking during an assessment visit on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, attributed the unrest to criminal elements and assured residents that all those found culpable would be prosecuted irrespective of their ethnic background.

 

“Criminals are simply criminals, and criminality has no tribal identity,” Lawal said.

 

He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to maintaining its long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence and appealed to residents, particularly youths, to embrace peace and allow security agencies to carry out their responsibilities without interference.

 

“Anyone found culpable will face the full weight of the law, irrespective of whether they are Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba or from any other ethnic group,” he said.

 

Lawal disclosed that the government had commenced profiling suspects and investigating both the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

 

He urged residents to temporarily vacate the affected area to enable security agencies conduct unhindered security operations.

 

“We urge everyone not to take the law into their own hands. A thorough investigation will be conducted, and those responsible will be identified and prosecuted,” he added.

 

The deputy governor acknowledged that lives had been lost in the violence, confirming that two deaths had so far been officially established, while assuring residents that the state government would accord the matter the highest priority until peace and normalcy were fully restored.