At least 200 shops were either burnt or vandalised, with about 10 houses, a commercial tricycle, two articulated vehicles and several cars were destroyed when people suspected to be political thugs unleashed mayhem in Ibadan South-West council area on Sunday. Eyewitnesses said at least three persons were killed in the attack while an attempt was made to burn a petrol station at Popoyemoja junction.
The affected areas are Born Photo, Isale Osi, Idi Arere and Popoyemoja. Our correspondent who visited the areas shortly after the attack gathered that political thugs arrived at the area around 9am and began to shoot sporadically, burning houses, looting shops and destroying vehicles. He also observed that residents fled the area.
The mayhem continued for about two hours before policemen arrived at the scene to restore order, but not after the attackers had achieved their objectives. Residents who spoke to our correspondent linked the violence to the attack that happened on Friday where a policeman was short dead and another seriously injured. The scene of Friday’s attack was about four kilometres to Born Photo, where Sunday’s attack began.
Mr. Okunola Asimiyu, whose house on SW9/263 was burnt and destroyed by the thugs said that he was shocked and wondered why his house was a target.
“I am not a politician. My father built this house many decades and I inherited it. The fight in Oke-Ado three days ago spiralled into today’s attack on our community. I am a part seller in Gate and I have no friends among the politicians. I was locked in the building while the thugs put fire into the house. I struggled to put it off but it was beyond me so I escaped into safety,” he said.
About five shops attached to the house were also burnt and vandalised. Folake Oladipo, who combines wholesale and retail sale of drinks in one of the shops, said shops lost over N1m.
“I received a call this morning that my shop was burning. I rushed here but I saw people with guns shooting and burning houses. The trouble started since Friday but today’s violence was targeted at people, house and shops. They burned my refrigerators, generators and looted everything in the shop. I am devastated.”
Also destroyed was a viewing centre where the owner, Adepoju Owolabi, and football fans were lucky to have escaped. Beside the centre is a phone repair shop, where the owner, Raheem Olakunle, said the hoodlums carted away many phones and laptop computers. At Popoyemoja junction, BP petrol station was vandalised and half-burnt. Police at the scene said a bigger calamity would have enveloped the area if the hoodlums were successful.
Source: Punch News
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