Three feared killed in Ilorin tricycle operator mayhem
By Saka Laaro, Ilorin
Not fewer than three Members of tricycle operators in Ilorin, Kwara state capital lost their lives on Monday around Gaa-Akanbi Area, Ilorin, when hell was let loose among some unidentified persons suspected to be Members of Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria(TOAN) otherwise known as ‘Keke Marwa engaged themselves in a free for all.
Dangerous weapons such as machetes, charms and the likes according to an eye witness were freely used in the mayhem which resulted in to loss of lives while other members sustained various degrees of injuries.
Our Correspondent also gathered that the warring members who belong to different factions of the association, clashed due to a disagreement over routes designate for each group to play.
Members of a faction of the association were said to have plied unauthourised route, prompting there other faction to accost them.
A shouting match reportedly ensued among them and consequently ended in a bloody clash during which at least three Members met their death and some landed In the hospitals.
While residents and shops owners hurriedly stayed indoors and locked up their shops respectively. Pedestrians took to their heels to avoid being implicated in the melee.
Motorists and other road users in the areas also swiftly made a detour and turned for safe routes while the mayhem persisted. The clash was said to have extended to Offa-Garage area, forcing people to also scamper for safety.
Nigerian NewsDirect also learnt that some perpetrators of the unrest had since gone in to hiding as at the time of filing this report to escape possible arrest for public disturbances.
None of the leaders of the warring members was available for comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Kwara state government has directed Okada and Keke NAPEP commercial operators to operate between 6am and 9pm daily.
This is part of the government’s surveillance activities to tackle security issues within Ilorin metropolis and its environs. The Secretary to the State Government, Professor Mamman Saba Jibril said in a statement in Ilorin, the state capital.
