The much-reported clash between Yoruba and Hausa traders at Mobil Bus Stop on MKO Abiola/Ring Road, Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State on Sunday was a predetermined attack carried out against the person of Mufutau Sanni, a lottery kiosk operator, popularly known as Baba Ijebu.
PMParrot’s on-the-spot investigation revealed that the victim, also popularly called Murphy was badly wounded but still alive and being treated as at 6pm on Sunday when we left the scene.
Trouble started when an Hausa Okada rider who apparently brought a passenger to the popular Mobil Petrol Station and the issue of transport fares caused an argument between the two.
A ‘vulcanizer’ who spoke with PMParrot said “While the Hausa okadaman and his passenger were having heated argument, Murphy, whose Kiosk is close by approached with the intension of sorting them out. Other Hausa folks around asked him not to intervene. Before we knew what was happening, they started beating him.
“One of them crossed to the other side of Mobil that leads to Joyce-B and came back with a cutlass. One other stabbed him with a broken bottle while the man with the cutlass struck him from behind. Another Hausa okadaman brought out a pair of scissors and stabbed him with it. They all later carried him on to the main Ring Road and continued to beat him. He was later rushed to a nearby hospital somewhere at Oke Ado in Ibadan.”
By the time PMParrot was speaking to this source, pandemonium broke out again as supporters of Murphy from Foko, a notorious community in the heart of Ibadan arrived brandishing different dangerous weapons. They then started going after all Hausa traders and okada operators in sight. They wounded many and handed a few to the security men present.
It was the prompt intervention of men and officers from Amotekun that brought the situation under control.
When we later spoke with our ‘Vulcanizer’ source, he said “those boys from Foko are Murphy’s mates because he is a Foko boy too. They will not rest until they retaliate. It is obvious that the Hausa boys had plans of dealing with Murphy. Why should a mere argument degenerate into stabbing and maiming? Murphy is well known to all of them and he is a jolly good fellow.”
However, policemen from the Oluyole Police Station and Iyaganku Divisional Command later joined the Amotekun corps members to finally bring peace. This was after a section of Mobil Market on the way to Joyce-B had been razed down by the ‘Foko-Boys’. (See images)
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
