Pascal Arogorn Ibe
At least 11 people have been buried on Sunday in the aftermath of Friday’s altercation between Hausa and Yoruba traders at Shasa Market in Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State.
Also, about 5,000 Hausa traders, women and children displaced by the violence were still taking refuge at the residence of the Sarkin Shasa, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in Ibadan.
The Sarkin Sasa, who spoke with Daily Trust, said 11 victims were prepared for burial in his compound. A source in the Hausa community 20 killed persons were buried at the Akinyele Graveyard in the state capital.
The charred remains of 8 other people killed during the crisis were still at the police station in the Shasha area, as of Sunday evening.
“You can hear the noise, they are still here,” Alhaji Maiyasin told Daily Trust by telephone. He said the refuges in his residence were up to 3,000.
Our correspondents report that there was still tension in the town and traders from both sides count losses.
Crisis erupted on Thursday when a porter carrying a basket of tomato inadvertently nudged a Yoruba woman. The woman allegedly retaliated and organised a group of Yoruba thugs to avenge. The fight snowballed to Friday during which many people were killed and dozens of shops, worship centres and houses destroyed.
One of our reporters observed that Hausa residents at Mokola area of Ibadan, which is the largest Hausa community in the state were clustering for fear of extension of violence to the area.
Our correspondent observed that police officers were deployed to the house of the Sarkin Hausawa in Mokola to maintain law and order in the Sabo area of the community.
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