Many were on Saturday injured when law enforcement agents and suspected shop breakers clashed at Mandate market, Adewole area, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The Informant247 gathered that some shop owners in the market had complained to security agencies that some petty traders, guards, cleaners or load carriers who reside in the market always break into shops at night at will, adding that policemen from the market police post had raided the market following complaints by some victims of burglary incidents in the market.
It was learnt that some of the suspects arrested were youths from the northern part of the country and their leaders insisted that they should be released, a situation which degenerated to a fracas.
However, in the wake of the agitation, pandemonium reportedly broke out in the market, prompting the police to fire tear gas canisters to disperse the mob who had allegedly gathered to attack policemen and shop owners who lodged complaints with the police.
The situation, which forced shop owners to quickly closed for business and ran for their dear lives while motorists plying the mandate market route from Al -Hikma-University Road and those from Garin Alimi to Mandate quickly made a detour to avoid being caught up in the incident.
Meanwhile, a reinforcement of security agents including the police, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were quickly despatched to the market to bring the situation under control.
Ayeni Olasunkanmi, the NSCDC spokesman in the state, while confirming the incident, said the fracas was an aftermath of a raid earlier carried out by law enforcement officers in the market.
“The issue there at the market was an aftermath of a raid carried out by the Nigeria Police in the market due to complaints from the marketers that some shop breakers used to operate inside the market at night.
“Some of the suspects arrested are Hausas and their people are insisting that the police should release them.
“The situation there is under control. Other sister agencies are there to ensure that the situation is calm”, he said.
Also, the spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, said that the breach of public peace in the market was caused by “a misunderstanding between two groups of tomato and pepper sellers in Mandate Market leading to a fracas, adding that the Commissioner of Police Kwara state, CP Paul Odama has dispatched teams of policemen to the scene and calm is gradually being restored.
“No casualties on the sides of the marketers or the police has been recorded as of now,” Ajayi said.
Therefore, the Kwara State government has ordered the shutdown of the Mandate Market, ilorin, following Saturday’s skirmishes in the major trading centre.
In a statement signed on Saturday by the Honourable Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology Mallam Ibrahim Akaje, the market will be re-opened on Monday from 8a.m.
The statement reads “Even though the government has restored normalcy to the market after the initial tension and opportunist attacks by hoodlums on people’s properties, the government hereby directs temporary closure of the market for security reasons pending resolution of some issues that had triggered the disturbances,” the statement added.
“The government commends the prompt response of the security agencies to the distress calls. We warn against further trouble from any quarters. The market and activities of everyone involved therein are regulated by laws, which must be respected by all.
“The market will be reopened on Monday while efforts have begun to resolve all pending issues.”
