Mushin, Ijegun crises: Schools, Idi-Oro Market shut, 59 arrested

 

MUSHIN—Idi-Oro Market and other adjourning markets affected by Monday clash between rival hoodlums, which left scores of persons injured and some houses destroyed, have been temporarily shut.

This is just as sponsors of the crisis have been discovered to be some Lagos socialites, who live outside Mushin.

 

At press time yesterday, 59 suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident that paralysed commercial activities in the densely-populated area.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the suspects before newsmen at the command headquarters, vowed to go after their sponsors irrespective of their positions in the society.

 

 He stated that the markets were temporarily shut to allow proper mop up operation, during which pump action rifles, axes, cutlasses and knives were discovered.

Owoseni explained that 68 suspects were arrested in connection with the fracas, but that during interrogation, nine of them, who were discovered not to be involved in the fight, were released.

 

However, when the suspects were approached, they all denied culpability in the incident. On close observation, some of them were discovered to have tattoo peculiar to those of some confraternities.

Meanwhile, schools at Pipeline Road, Fire Bus Stop in Ijegun area, were yet to resume, apparently for fear of a reprisal attack as threatened by scrap dealers whose colleagues were shot dead by members of the Odua People’s Congress, OPC, Monday.

 

Meanwhile, Owoseni clarified that the crisis that broke out in the area was between some private security men and scavengers and not between police and scavengers as reported in some national dailies.

He also assured that those behind the killings would be brought to book, stating that “we will ensure that those killed get justice.”