Juliana
Many people have been injured following clashes between traders and hoodlums at the Alaba International Market.
According to reports, it is believed that the fight is between the market task force and hoodlums
It was also gathered that the clash started on Tuesday and snowballed today Wednesday.
Following today’s clash, several videos have permeated the internet, showing bloodied men sporting varying degrees of injuries. One of the videos showed a large number of men armed with weapons, while sporadic shootings rent the air.
The reason for the clash is yet unknown, but different versions of the reason have been spread on social media.
One version claimed that the market task force on Tuesday mobilized and sent hoodlums out of the market and that today, the hoodlums re-enforced and stormed the market, leading to a bloodbath.
A Twitter user, @BASILAZUBUIKE attributes the clash to the realization by the traders that hoodlums, otherwise called Agberos were on the increase in the market.
His words: “There’s a pandemonium around Alaba international Market presently. The altercation is between the traders (businessmen and women) and the agberos who have been on the increase in the area lately. The traders are alleging that the activities of the agberos are chasing their customers away. One of the traders I interviewed, said that the increasing incursion of the agberos in the market was hampering their businesses. A situation where customers must pay agberos after minor purchases – while heading out from the market, has discouraged the customers from patronising the market.”
Attempts by our reporter to get an official statement on what sparked the clash, the number injured or killed and those arrested have been abortive as the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, failed to pick up his calls.
He, however, tweeted on his handle@BenHundeyin, thus: “Alaba International Market is calm. Normalcy has been restored. @rrslagos767 and men of Ojo Division are on the ground, under the supervision of Area Commander Festac, ACP Igbafe Afegbai. There is no cause for alarm as monitoring continues.”
