Lagos Market Clash: Uneasy Calm At Mile 12 As Residents Relocate

BEFORE CRISIS: Mile 12 market is the biggest food market in Nigeria Getty Images

Daily Trust reports that there was uneasy calm at Mile 12 area of Lagos on Friday following the previous day’s riot in which at least six people died and many were injured, with property worth millions of naira destroyed. 

Daily Trust learnt that despite assurances from security agencies and the state government that normalcy had returned to the area, the situation was still tense.

The crisis spread on Friday afternoon to other parts of Kosofe in Ikosi-Isheri Local Government Area even as some residents were seen fleeing the area for fear of attack. The fracas had broken out in the Agiliti area of Mile 12 on Thursday following an alleged altercation between a commercial motorcycle rider who allegedly hit and injured a boy and a group of people in the popular perishable goods Mile 12 market.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had declared a curfew in the area while security agents including soldiers were mobilized to the crisis zone to restore normalcy. However, checks by our correspondent revealed that all was far from being normal as some aggrieved people allegedly regrouped to attack their opponents on Friday.

Our correspondent who visited the area yesterday observed the presence of heavily armed security men in the area. But the warring individuals still regrouped from other parts of Mile 12 not manned by the security agents as gunshots were heard at about 4.00pm. 
A resident who simply identified himself as Chukwuemeka told our correspondent that some members of a particular ethnic group felt cheated in the crisis and were determined to retaliate. Also, a resident of Isaac Adenuga Estate in the area who identified himself simply as Solomon said he had to relocate his family because of the pervasive tension. Many other residents had relocated in droves out of fear.

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, on Friday, met representatives of Mile 12, Maidan and Agiliti at the State House in Alausa, Ikeja where the communities promised to live peacefully with one another. He said the state government was studying the situation and would address all the issues that had arisen decisively, with a view to ensuring that it would not recur.

Speaking at the meeting, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr I.O Edgal insisted that the Police High Command had secured the Agiliti area and its environs.

Day Mile 12 Boiled, More Than 100 Arrested After Lagos Market Riot

Some burnt vehicles during the fracas at Mile 12 in Lagos

Thursday, March 3, 2016 was another tragic day in Lagos. Mayhem returned to the popular perishable goods market in Mile 12, situated along Ikorodu Road, as a wild riot engulfed the area. By the time the riot was brought under control, six people lay dead, scores injured, while property worth millions of naira had been destroyed.

Daily Trust on Saturday learnt that the riot was caused by the act of a commercial motorcyclist, believed to be from the northern part of the country, who allegedly hit and injured a Yoruba boy in an accident at Agiliti area of Mile 12 the previous day.

The commercial motorcyclist allegedly refused to take care of the victim and on Thursday, the situation degenerated into what appeared to be a clash between the Yoruba and Hausa who had remained rivals over the control of the popular market.

The ensuing riot, which lasted for hours on the fateful day, resulted in Ikorodu Road being inaccessible from Ketu, while trading activities were also suspended. A detachment of soldiers were later drafted to join the policemen that had moved to the market to restore peace in the area.

A trader at the market, Mrs. Anike Olota, told Daily Trust on Saturday that while the fracas lasted, hoodlums joined some of the feuding traders to stop all vehicles on the busy Ikorodu Road and vandalized them.

The rioters, who were reportedly armed with cutlasses and broken bottles, also destroyed houses and shops, alongside the food items stocked in the shops. A school in the area was also razed. The fracas, which spilled to adjoining areas like Ketu and Owode-Onirin, caused serious traffic snarls in the whole area.

The Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, at a media briefing on the development, ordered the temporary closure of the Mile 12 Market. He also announced the imposition of curfew on four streets in the area for peace to reign. The streets affected were Oniyanrin, Maidan, Agiliti 1 and Agiliti 2.

The governor admitted that there was a dispute between members of Mile 12 community, saying that the police and other security officials were called in to manage the situation.

He added: “After their intervention, the dispute appeared to have subsided. Today (Thursday), I have just been informed that some hoodlums and criminal elements have exploited that dispute to cause a breakdown of law and order in the community. This type of clash does occur from time to time in a multi-ethnic city like Lagos. And the government has always responded appropriately.

“The public is thereby assured that we will not shy away from our responsibilities to protect lives and property in the state. We will deal decisively with those criminal elements involved in the clash. I have been assured by the Commissioner of Police and other security agencies at the scene that the situation has been brought under control.
“I want to assure residents of Lagos State that the state is home to every ethnic group. No one should give this clash any ethnic colouration. Law abiding citizens should go about their businesses.”

The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who was also at the briefing, said the restriction on the affected four streets would be lifted when normalcy had returned completely, saying that he was at the scene of the clash and that there was no death recorded.
“I was there personally, I did not witness anyone killed. The situation is calm. The people that were agitating have been cleared off the road. Substantial arrests have been made. We will ensure that everyone involved in the clash would be arrested and prosecuted.

“There was no fire in the market. We are still auditing but I know that we have made substantial arrest; which is well over 50 persons. As at the time I left the scene, there was no fire in the market. But it was within Agiliti where houses were burnt by miscreants. Those miscreants have been cleared off the road,” he stated.

After the press briefing at the State House, Alausa, Owoseni, alongside the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander, Olatunji Disu, the Area H Police Divisional Commander, as well as other senior police officers moved to the Mile 12 area to prevent the crisis from spilling to other parts of the state.

They also held close-door meetings with leaders of the Hausa and Yoruba communities in the area. The outcome of the meetings was, however, not made known to journalists.

Following the riot, commuters plying Ikorodo Road were stranded at the various bus stops on their way home from work that fateful Thursday.

At Costain, Jibowu, Fadeyi, Palm Groove, Onipanu, Anthony, Maryland, Ojota, Ketu and Ikorodu, our correspondents saw hundreds of commuters jostling for the few vehicles available to ply the route.

Also, at the various Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) terminals, there were long queues of passengers with few available buses.

The usual heavy traffic on the Ikorodu Road was, however, not experienced as it was gathered that some civil servants and private workers plying the road had closed from work early when they heard of the riot.