One dies, many injured as hoodlums clash in Ibadan

One person has been confirmed dead while many others suffered varying degrees of injuries as hoodlums in their hundreds shattered the peaceful atmosphere of Wesley College area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital city on Tuesday.

The chaotic situation which saw the hoodlums unleash terror in the area lasted for about three hours before a combined effort of security operatives stem the tide.

Before the arrival of the police, the hoodlums were said to have caused a scene at Labo, Orita Aperin, Elekuro, Kosodo, Oranyan areas of Ibadan where they used dangerous weapons including animal bones, bottles, pistols, nails, and clubs.

Many innocent residents were wounded while trying to run to safety. The cause of the crisis could not be ascertained as at press time.

Sources hinted that the hoodlums have been threatening to clash and that the fracas has been brewing for about three days until things got out of hands on Tuesday.

The National President, Soludero Hunters Association, Oba Wahab Ajijola Anabi who led his men to the scene to intervene before the arrival of other security operatives confirmed the death and then injury toll.

Ajijola said “A man was killed at Kosodo area. He was stabbed to death. They were about 700 hoodlums who were invited from neighbouring streets. They used pistols, animal bones, bottles and clubs to stab and wounded many people”.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Superintendent of Police, also confirmed that a man whose identity was yet to be ascertained was killed in the fracas adding that the effort of the police yielded result in dispersing the hoodlums and stopping the violent clash.

He said one suspect has been arrested in relations to the fracas.

Fadeyi said, “They attacked themselves at around Idi-Oro, Wesley College. It has been on for the past three days. Police have been on their trail, trying to make sure they forestall all these attacks.