By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
|
The memory of the bloody clash between men of Amotekun and Hausa traders on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 will forever linger on in the minds of the people of Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, particularly residents of the popular Atikankan area.
The areas atmosphere became tensed following a bloody clash that broke out between members of the Western Security Network, code named Amotekun Corps, and the traders .
Atikankan in Ado-Ekiti is an area densely populated by Hausa traders and hoodlums who engage in illegal businesses such as sale of India hemp and other dangerous substances.
The bloody clash which started at about 10:30 am on the fateful day, claimed the life of a yet to be identified person, while four members of the Amotekun Corps sustained injuries.
The clash also resulted in the vandalisation of shops and vehicles belonging to the Amotekun Corps, while several members of the Corps were also seized and detained for several hours in a shop located within a local market in the area.
Trouble started when the Ekiti State Government issued a directive through Ado Local Government to traders in the three markets within Ado-Ekiti metropolis, especially those trading by the roadside to immediately relocate to another market called Agric-Olope.along Oba Adedugbe Hospital in Ado-Ekiti.
As part of the move by the government, through the local government, it embarked on sensitisation of the traders on the need for them not to see government action as a way of witchunting them.
It was learnt that only traders in Atikankan allegedly remained adamant to the order, a move which prompted the government to mobilize the officers of the Amotekun corps to the area to effect the order.
The Amotekun Corps in company of some officials of the Ado Local Government had arrived at the market on the fateful day to effect the government order and clear the roadsides when traders at the market allegedly attacked the officers and the council officials by throwing stones and cudgels at them.
An effort was said to have been made by the Amotekun officers, who were not armed before coming to the area, to persuade the Seriki of the Hausa traders in the market.
However, all efforts to calm them down proved abortive as the traders regrouped themselves and attacked the officers.
During the clash which lasted for two hours, one person was said to have died, while vehicular movement were disrupted for many hours on the busy Irona/Ishato road as the traders barricaded the road and set bonfire on it.
Similarly, the road leading to the market was barricaded. It took the intervention of the officials of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) attached to the Ekiti State Police Command before the road could be cleared for easy access and vehicular movement.
When our correspondent arrived the area, a contingent of mobile and regular policemen were on ground to quel the activities of the rampaging traders and some hoodlums in the market.
Speaking on the incident in an interview with our correspondent in his office in Ado-Ekiti, the Commandant of the Amotekun Corps, Ekiti State, Brigadier General Joe Komalafe, (Rtd) dismissed the claims that gun shots were fired by his men. He said that they were in the market unarmed and to persuade the traders apparently to obey the government order.
On the claim that an unidentified person was shot dead during the clash, the Amotekun helmsman said he was not aware if anybody died in the incident, he equally denied the claim and explained that his men were not armed before going to the place.
“We were unarmed. That was why they injured our men. We were on a persuasive mission to the area. You know Atikankan area in Ado-Ekiti is a notorious market populated by dangerous people, including all the hoodlums in Ado-Ekiti”
The Ekiti Amotekun Corps Commander who described the incident as very unfortunate stated that the level of attack on his men and vandalisation of their vehicle was the first of its kind since the corps was established three years ago.
The retired military officer equally lamented that the day te incident happened was to celebrate his third year in office as the Commandant of the Corps in the State.
Reacting, the Seriki of Hausa in Atikankan market, Alhaji Abubakar Bindi, claimed that the traders at the market had occupied the place before the creation of Ekiti State.
He claimed that some community leaders in the area had also collected huge amount of money from the traders which according to him they paid anually to the community leaders.
He explained that the Certificate of Occupancy on some portions of the land have been given to some traders in the area.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ekiti State Police Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, said four persons have been arrested over the matter and were currently detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the command.
He explained that they were helping the police on their investigation, and promised that they would be prosecuted if found guilty of the offense.
