There was pandemonium yesterday in the Mushin area of Lagos state yesterday when area boys, traders, and residents clashed over a disagreement that stemmed from illegal ticketing.
The swift intervention of policemen from the Area D Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) made it so that no life was lost.
It has been reported that while no lives were lost, a lot of property was destroyed and varying degree of injuries were sustained by hoodlums and residence.
Things started to boil over around 8am when there was a scuffle over illegal ticketing by area boys which snowballed into an ethnic fight between Igbo traders and Yoruba residents. The residents asked the government to relocate the market as they felt the violence was too much. They protested on the streets over their damaged homes and property.
A resident recounted his tale to the Guardian, “The union is biased and they are the problem here. The Igbos are hiding under the union to wreak havoc. “I usually come out in the morning around 6a.m. to pack sand from the gutter with my wheelbarrow because that’s what I sell in front of my house. So, I had used my barrow to block my frontage so that no car will park there and cover my wares.
“Suddenly, one man came and said I must leave there. He pushed me and people came to settle it. So, I went into my room and then I started hearing shouts,” he said.
As many as 40 vehicles were destroyed in the fracas and numerous other screens were broken. The market was shut down as community members sought refuge in their homes to avoid the violence.
Lagos State police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, reiterated that no life was lost in the melee. She said “No single death was recorded during the incident. Four men were injured and rushed to the hospital. The fracas ensued after a fight between two people fighting over buying foods.”
