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By Christopher Oji
One person was killed and a market set on fire by suspected thugs who had threatened non indigenes in Lagos, over an alleged plan to vote for the governorship candidate of the Labour Party.
Already, one person has been arrested in connection with the murder and arson. It was gathered that at the early hours of yesterday, hoodlums believed to be supporters of APC stormed the Akere Market, Tolu, Lagos, shouting that Ndigbo must leave Lagos and set the market on fire.
It was gathered that a security guard in the market who resisted the thugs was stabbed to death while many others were injured. The lifeless body of the 65-year-old security guard was also said to have been recovered at the scene of the incident.
A witness, Emmanuel Okeke, said: “Those who set the market ablaze were putting on masks. The masked men came with four motorcycles, which conveyed two people each. The armed men came with a shuttle bus conveying seven people all masked.
“They started shooting sporadically at around 3am to scare residents away. In the process, they shot dead the taxi park security guard, who tried to stop them. They attempted the same thing last week Thursday, but were overpowered by the local security. The market leaders reported to the DPO, Tolu Post, and he gave them assurance that they would handle the situation.”
A victim, Atagbuzie Maduka, who spoke to Daily Sun, said Ndigbo were suffering for the massive vote they gave to the Labour Party presidential candidate during last election.
“We are not surprised at what we are seeing today. It is the price we are paying for supporting Peter Obi during the presidential and national assembly elections. The Yoruba are afraid that come March 11 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, we are going to vote en-mass for Labour Party.
“They have been threatening us that we should leave Lagos. They have told us that they would burn our markets; they have called some of us to their meeting where they threatened to wipe us out. They are on social media, even making videos with their face and names on the video, yet security agencies didn’t do anything to caution them or bring them to book.
“They destroyed some of our shops at Ikotun, Abaranje, Ijegun and now it is the Akere spare parts market. This one is monumental because we lost billions. Some of our goods perished with the money inside. The thugs targeted when we were still sleeping to commit the dastardly act. Some of us borrowed the money we used to bring in containers from the banks, see what they have done to us.”
Another victim, Pius Nwokedike, said he lost over N100 million to the wicked act, “we could not salvage anything because none of us were in the market. They acted like the devil who sneaked in at the wee hours to destroy our market. I am calling on Ndigbo at Trade Fair, Alaba International and Ladipo markets to, as a matter of urgency, make arrangements for alternative security to safeguard their markets, because they are coming for you and the police cannot save us.
“Governor Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, who has pleaded with us to support him, should stop this madness, because the hoodlums cannot continue to destroy our means of livelihood and we fold our arms and watch them. We shall defend ourselves. Some Yoruba voted Labour Party and Yoruba are contesting under Labour Party, why have they singled out Ndigbo. We have Hausa, Fulani, Edo, Idoma and many other tribes that voted for the Labour Party, why the hatred on Ndigbo. Why I am saying this is that the supporters of APC burnt our shops and they have threatened to do more.”
The Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, in a statement, yesterday, confirmed that the fire started at about 3:28am, adding that the Ajegunle Fire Station was the first respondent.
Part of the statement reads: “Upon arrival, it was discovered that rows of shops that traded in auto spare parts were well alight that led to Sari-Iganmu and Ilupeju Fire Crews of the agency joining up to subdued the raging fire and salvage a nearby major market and filling station with a tanker fully loaded with 33,000 litres of PMS, amongst other adjoining buildings.
However, the Lagos State Police Command has commenced investigation into the early morning fire incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said: “The fire, which started at about 3am, was put out by a combined team of officers from Tolu Police Division and the Lagos State Fire Service. Sadly, a 65-year-old security guard lost his life in the incident.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Idowu Owohunwa, has urged Lagosians to remain calm as the State Criminal Investigation Department has been directed to take over investigation towards unravelling the true circumstances surrounding the attack. He equally called for restraints in giving any form of extraneous coloration to the incident, while assuring that the outcome of the investigation will be made public.
Regardless, Ndigbo have in different social media platforms raised the alarm over continuous threat by APC supporters to raze their markets and houses. The APC supporters have not forgiven the Labour Party, believed to be an Igbo party, over the landslide defeat of APC. The thugs have been threatening to deal with Ndigbo if they continue to support the Labour Party candidate, Gbgadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
