Breaking: Oyo gov’t shuts Shasha market, imposes curfew over Hausa and Yoruba clash

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on Sasa and its environs in the wake of the ethnic clash that led to the killing and destruction of properties at Sasa market, in Akinyele Local Government, Ibadan.

The curfew will run from 6 pm to 7 am.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, Saturday, indicated that the governor has also ordered the immediate closure of the market indefinitely and deployed security operatives to stem the tide of violence in the area

The clash that has lasted for almost 48 hours now has led to several private and public properties such as vehicles, kiosks, shops, houses and various other structures being destroyed.

An incident on Thursday served as a precursor to Friday’s clash when a Hausa man had a heated dispute with a pregnant woman in front of her shop.

The said man was said to be conveying tomatoes, but on getting to the front of the pregnant woman’s shop, it upturned and fell.

The pregnant woman accosted the Hausa man and insisted that the man should pack all the tomatoes without leaving out the spoilt and rotten ones but the man refused.

The pregnant woman got angered when the Hausa man picked the good ones and leave out the rotten tomatoes on the floor.

A heated argument had ensued with the woman insisting that the man should pack all that was poured in front of her shop.

A shoemaker, Sakirundeen Adeola alias Korex had intervened to separate the two only to be hit by the Hausa man and started foaming.

The shoemaker was rushed to the hospital only to be confirmed dead later on Thursday.

Some Yorubas had on Friday blocked the entry of truckload of tomatoes, driven by Hausas, into Sasha market to avenge the death of one of their own resulting in a clash.

According to a resident of Shasha, Kola Ridwan, he said, “A shoemaker, Sakirundeen Adeola, who was watching the altercation between the Hausa man and the pregnant woman, left his shop and went to meet the two of them to resolve the crisis.

Sakirudeen insisted no matter what, the man should not litter the frontage of the woman’s shop. The man got angry and gave the shoemaker a deadly blow. The shoemaker fell and hit his head against a stone. I was told.

“The shoemaker was rushed to the hospital and he died this morning (Friday). This got the friends and family members of the deceased angry and they mobilised to retaliate. The man is from Niger Republic and lives among the Hausa community. Then, the Hausa also mobilised to fight.

I can confirm to you that no fewer than seven trucks have been vandalised and looted. Also, many houses have been burnt.

“The Hausa have been mobilising from Akinyele to Shasha and the arson has continued in Shasha. If care is not taken, the crisis may degenerate to an unimaginable level.”

Speaking about the incident, the Deputy Director, Oyo State Fire Service, Mr Moshood Adewuyi, disclosed that the fire brigade was not allowed to put out the fire as hoodlums descended heavily on them and their facilities.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said: “It was a clash between two social miscreants in which one of the miscreant, Adeola Sakirundeen, was hit by the other and died later while receiving treatment in a hospital.

The police PRO said: “Massive police deployment and that of the sister security agencies were made to dowse tension. Critical stakeholders have also been consulted to appeal to the people. Normalcy is gradually returning to the area.”.

Fadeyi added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko; Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Mr Fatai Owoseni, and other police tactical teams had visited the scene for an on the spot assessment.