The leaders of Hausa Community in Kwara State, in a petition jointly signed by its Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Chindo and Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Albushra have condemned in a strong term, the alleged injustice meted out on Hausa traders and labourers in a high-strung fight with a combined team of the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps from Kwara State Commands on Saturday inside Mandate Market around Adewole area in Ilorin.
The leaders, in an interview with The City Gazette revealed that “at about 11:00am on Saturday the security personnel started using live ammunition and Tear Gas to disperse the labourers who are expressing their grievances peacefully.”
They furthered that it amount to injustice on the side of the security operatives to have exclusively attributed the theft and burglary of shops in the market to the Hausa labourers, claiming that the commercial centre houses different ethnic groups such as Nupe, Fulani, Zuru and others.
Speaking on the cause of the ugly incident, Alhaji Chindo alleged Babaloja and Iyaloja of the Market, Mr. Muritala and Mrs. Funmilayo of inviting officers from Adewole Police Station to indiscriminately arrest Hausa traders and labourers in the market.
The leaders in a petition addressed to Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, stated one pepper trader, Abubakar Mohammed was stabbed to death during the clash as one Hausa labourer identified as Bilal Mohammed also sustained an injury from stray bullet in the stomach.
Narrating further, they explained that another Hausa trader, Alhaji Abubakar Yunusa was also inflicted with machete cuts with Bajaj, Jincheng and Rubber-rubber motorcycles belonging to the Hausas carted away by thugs.
While appealing to the State Government, the leaders in the petition, thereby called on the Gov. AbdulRahman to order investigation into the clash so as to find a lasting solution to the incessant harassment of their kinsmen in the market.
In his final, submission, Alhaji Chindo maintained that the Hausa numbering over 600 in the market are peace loving people who go about daily activities diligently.
