From Fred Itua, Abuja
Three people were reportedly killed in a clash between scavengers, often referred to as ‘baban bola’, and residents of Byazhin community, in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the nation’s capital.
A witness, Jessica Adam, told newsmen that a baban bola attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup, but was overpowered and beaten up after the woman alerted neighbours and passers-by.
The angry baban bola then went away and mobilised hoodlums who returned at about 8pm, wielding weapons, including machetes, clubs, and stones and began attacking residents at random, eventually killing the woman whose pot of soup was earlier stolen.
In the continuing attack, two others, a woman and a young boy, reported to be passers-by who, unfortunately, ran into the middle of the crisis, were also killed.
“They killed two people yesterday. The community has been in chaos since yesterday. The crisis continued till this morning when they killed somebody, again. So far, three people have been killed and many injured. The police intervened and restored normalcy, but no arrest was made. The police have intensified their patrol in the Byazhin area of Kubwa to prevent them from regrouping,” Adams narrated.
Another resident confirmed the death of the three people, but said he had no clue as to what may have started the clash.
“Yes, the riot started yesterday. And by this morning, we learnt that three people have been killed. It happened in Byazhin around Millionaire’s Quarters, behind that Living Faith Church.
That place is usually dangerous, because it is quite lonely, and you cannot pass through there alone, especially in the evening,” he said.
Following the crisis, schools and shops in the area shutdown, as parents scampered to pick up kids from their classrooms, and shops refused to open as of yesterday morning. Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, proved abortive, as her number was repeatedly unreachable.