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By Christopher Oji
Three persons were yesterday shot dead in Owode Onirin, Lagos, during a fight between trader and land grabbers.
A policemen was also injured, while while four others officers who accompanied the land grabbers were arrested and would be facing orderly room trial .
However, the alleged kingpin of the land grabbers, Abiodun Ariori, CEO of Prosperous Ariori Golden Venture Limited has been declared wanted by Lagos State Police Command for masterminding the crisis .
It was gathered the a fight broke out between traders and land grabbers at the popular Owode Onirin Market, where a policeman was injured, three people killed, while many were injured.
The deadly fight led to the blocking of highways and roads leading in and out of Owode Onirin Market .
Vehicular movement and business activities were grounded as traders closed down shops and scampered for safety.
The land grabbers, who stormed the market were said to be armed with dangerous weapons and shooting at the traders, who resisted the invaders.
A trader , Maria Lucas told Daily Sun that there has been lingering problem between the Market management and the land grabbers who have been laying claim of ownership to the land .
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“ Yesterday, the land grabbers stormed the market and shot many people dead,while many people sustained gunshot injuries . So many people got injured during stampede. I can’t say how many people that were shot,but I know that not less than 10 people would have died ,while over 50 people were injured “.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) CSP Benjamin Hundeyin in a Statement, explained that the command responded swiftly to to the unrest in the Owode Onirin and restored normalcy.
He said,” consequent on the disturbance of public peace, law and order, blocking of highways and roads leading in and out of Owode Onirin Market as a result of the deadly clash between traders and land grabbers, the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh personally led a combined team of police detachment comprising personnel of the Command’s operations department, the Police Mobile Force, Rapid Response Squad, Tactical squads and Detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to the affected area and normalcy was restored. The roads were reopened to traffic and people started going about their lawful businesses.
“ To sustain the normalcy, the CP has retained the deployment of adequate police personnel at the scene of the incident to prevent resurgence of the crisis.
“ During the clash between the traders and the land grabbers, three persons sustained fatal injuries and a Police Inspector was seriously injured. The three fatally injured persons were confirmed dead when they were rushed to the hospital by the police, while the Police Inspector injured is in a critical and life-threatening condition at the hospital where he is receiving treatment.
“ In the cause of preliminary investigation and prima facie evidences available, one Abiodun Ariori, CEO of Prosperous Ariori Golden Venture Limited, is connected to the deadly clash between the traders and the land grabbers. He is hereby, declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command as all efforts to effect his arrest and bring him to justice has so far proved abortive. It is very clear that he has gone into hiding.
“ The wanted suspect, Abiodun Ariori, whose photograph is attached, with last known address is in Egbeda, is dark in complexion. If seen, should be arrested and hand over to the nearest police station”.
“ In furtherance to ensuring justice and in compliance with the directive of the CP, four policemen, brought in from outside Lagos State by the wanted suspected land grabber, were immediately identified and detained at the Command headquarters for orderly room trial for going on illegal duty with the wanted suspect. The outcome of the investigation into the case and the trial of the policemen will be made public.
