Ogun: Police arrest 15 over Lafenwa mayhem

By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

No fewer that 15 persons were on Tuesday, arrested by operatives of the Ogun State command of Nigeria Police Force following  deadly clash which broke out between street urchins and scavengers said to be Hausas in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The crisis, which started late Monday evening at the rail line axis of the  popular Lafenwa Market of Abeokuta Metropolis, spanned the night till Tuesday morning when some of the urchins allegedly set some market stalls ablaze.

It was gathered that the street urchins had approached the driver of a truck at the Lafenwa Market, where they demanded for a certain financial inducement for them to clear traffic and enable the truck maneuver the traffic build up at the market.

One of the traders, Mrs. Sobaloju, who witnessed the situation around 8: 30p.m Monday evening further told journalists that the money offered by the truck driver was picked by one of the scavengers, who allegedly ran to hide under one of the stalls in the market.

Sobaloju further explained that the urchins chased him to the stall, where he was pummelled and was eventually rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Rumours of the death of the scavenger, however, forced his other colleagues to seek for revenge on the urchins at the market where some market stalls were set ablaze Tuesday morning.

Reacting to the incident, the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi said that about 15 miscreants, who participated in the incident have been arrested in the ongoing police’s investigation.

Oyeyemi however, emphasised that no life was lost during the incident that created fears in the hearts of several traders at the market.