There was tension in the troubled Mile 12 area of Lagos and its environs on Friday as many traders ignored Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s order that the market should be shut temporarily over the violence that claimed at least four lives on Thursday.
Many traders were going on with their activities in spite of the order according to reports monitored by Qed.ng.
Callers on the state-owned Lagos Traffic Radio expressed fear and anger that the police could not enforce the order less than 24 hours after it was given.
A caller on the station who refused to give his name said he moved his family out of the Agiliti area to avoid disaster.
Vanguard reported fresh killings by armed hoodlums suspected to be from the Northern part of the country.
It was gathered that in spite of the curfew imposed in the area, some armed men arrived in the early hours of Friday through the canal and destroyed some shops in the market.
Some homeless persons sleeping in the market and adjourning streets were suspected to have been killed.
A resident, who simply gave his name as Oluwatimileyin, said: “The Hausa men crossed the Agilinti river with canoe and attacked residents of an estate at Isheri North, last night. They even burnt some buildings”.
Irked by the invasion, some armed Yoruba youths converged close to the market in readiness for another clash.
The irate youths, who chanted war songs attempted to invade the market and destroy shops belonging to Hausa traders. But they were dispersed by security operatives with tear gas canisters.
Consequently, residents in the affected streets have been fleeing their abodes, following alleged threats by some Hausa youths to set their houses on fire at midnight.
Also, Hausa residents in the area have abandoned their homes for fear of being caught in the ethnic war.
Normalcy was however restored and traders and street hawkers were going about their business when our correspondent visited around 9:30am.
The Mile 12 Perishable Traders Association on Friday appealed to the State Government to reopen the market, in order to mitigate the financial losses that could accrue from produce wastage.
Femi Odusanya, spokesman for the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that reopening of the market would guarantee continuous food supply to the state.
Odusanya said: “We plead with the government to review its order on the closure of the market to reduce the quantum of produce to be wasted”.
“We have over 20 trucks each filled with sixty baskets of tomatoes worth N5,000 per basket rotting in the trucks in the market because of the delay in offloading them.
“This is aside the over eighty trucks of tomatoes and pepper meant for the market parked at Ibafo, Ogun State.
“To waste these produce would amount to huge financial losses for traders who are struggling to survive under the harsh economic climate of the country.”
Odusanya said that prolonged closure of the market would have negative multiplier effects on the prices and availability of foods in the state.
“Mile 12 Market plays a vital role in providing food to various markets and households in the state.
“With the abrupt closure of the market, high cost of food items arising from food scarcity will be experienced in the state within days.”
Odusanya said that the traders were victims of the fracas that ensued between commercial motorcyclists and the residents of Mile 12 community.
“The market has nothing to do with the brawl but it is so unfortunate that by virtue of our location we are affected by the situation that has paralysed economic activities.”
There were reports of area boys regrouping to launch an attack early in the morning in the Agiliti area where Ambode announced restriction of movement.
Meanwhile, a resident of Agiliti Street, Danjuma Jubril, on Friday pleaded with the police authorities to provide adequate security for the burial of people killed in the bloody clash in the area on Thursday.
Jubril told the News Agency of Nigeria that the tense security in the area was not conducive for proper interment of the dead.
He said: “Some of the corpses are inside Agiliti River.
“We cannot bury or retrieve the bodies in the river because of the security situation.
“The burial ground we use is at Agiliti.
“We have sent message to the DPO in charge of this area that we need police escort to bury them.”
Jubril, who said he was born at Mile 12 more than 30 years ago, blamed the deadly clash on hoodlums extorting money from commercial motorcyclists and trucks carrying food items.
He advised that armed security men should be stationed permanently in the area in view of the incessant clashes.
“Security agents did not respond quickly when we called them. If they had responded immediately, the crisis would have been contained in time,” Jubril said.
A detachment of armed policemen, soldiers and civil defence corps had been patrolling the areas where ethnic Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani people engaged in bloody clashes resulting in many deaths.
The Lagos State Government on Friday announced that it met with all the stakeholders from Mile 12 market, Agiliti community, Maidan and its environs aimed at finding a lasting solution to the violence that led to the closure of the Mile 12 market with a promise that a harmonious and effective solution would be put in place in the next few days.
Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, who presided over the meeting held at the State Secretariat, Alausa, said that all the leaders agreed on the need to cohabit in peace irrespective of their religion, culture or tribes.
Mr Bello urged the leaders to go back and assure their people to maintain the peace, stating that the State Government would consider the inputs of all those present in arriving at a decision.
Addressing the leaders which included those of the various sections of the Mile 12 market, traditional rulers from Agiliti, Maidan, leaders of the transport unions, commercial motorcyclists, community development associations and leaders from the communities, Bello said leaders also agreed to go back to their communities and assure their people of government’s desire to ensure that lasting peace reigns in that community.
The SSG who said the issue of disagreement is not new in the area said what is uppermost is that everybody should see the next person as his brother, hence everyone at the meeting must leave with an open mind of cohabiting peacefully with their neighbours and avoid bloodletting.
He reiterated the directive of the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode that the market remains closed and all trading activities be suspended to aid security agencies restore calm to the affected areas.
He gave an assurance to the market leaders from Mile 12 that the State Government is studying the situation and would address all the issues that have arisen decisively with a view to ensuring that it does not recur again.
Speaking at the meeting, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr I.O Edgal who stood in for the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni said the Police High Command has secured the Agiliti area and its environs and peace has now returned to the community.
He said the clash and resultant loss of lives was very unfortunate and that going by the level of destruction on ground, it was not commensurate with what was reported to have precipitated the clash.
Other participants at the meeting including the Iyaloja of Mile 12 market, Alhaja Iyabo Ahmed, Baale of Maidan, Chief Baale Ogunjobi, Baale of Agiliti, Chief Jimoh Onikosi, Serikin Nupe, Alhaji Jibril Magaji, Chairman, Shukura yam, Alhaji Mohammed Damdana, Chairman of CDA Central, Elder M.A Showande, were all resolute in appealing to the State Government to ensure that the issue is resolved on time so that they can go ahead with their various businesses.
Other Government functionaries in attendance include the Special Advisers to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Hon Kehinde Joseph, Community Development and Communication, Hon Kehinde Bamigbetan and Permanent Secretaries from Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Fola Adeyemi and Cabinet Office, Mr Olushola Odupitan.
