Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
At least three persons were feared killed yesterday while about 15 others sustained bullet wounds following violent clash amongst hoodlums suspected to be supporters of rival political parties in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Amongst those who sustained bullets wounds were three siblings of same parents who were said to have been hit by stray bullets.
The fracas which started on Friday around Abayawo area spread to Alore-Ode Adana-Omoda, Ode- Alawusa Okelele and recorded the death of one person on that day.
However, in a reprisal that followed on Sunday, Blueprint gathered that another person simply identified as Ebba was killed in cold blood at Ode Alwusa area.
In an attempt to avenge the death of Ebba, the hoodlums yesterday renewed hostilities setting on burn fires thereby paralysing commercial and social activities in the affected areas.
In a commando style, the rampaging hoodlums, wearing masks, brandished dangerous weapons, including cutlasses, as they engaged one another in exchange of gun shots that lasted for almost five hours.
Some of those who sustained bullets wounds were rushed to the headquarters of Kwara state hunters association situated at Balode Street, Isale Banni, Ilorin, for treatment.
Soldiers and armed mobile policemen in about 20 vans were quickly deployed to the areas around 10 am to disperse the warring factions.
Before the arrival of the security personnel, some youths in the affected areas also took up arms against the rampaging hoodlums to prevent them from invading their communities.
The hoodlums also looted many shops carting away with goods and cash, a development which prompted some youths to rise against them.
Trouble started on Friday evening shortly after some 2, 000 members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Alore area of Ogidi ward in Ilorin west local government defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was gathered that the hoodlums clashed with one another as they could not agree on sharing formula for the sum of N20, 000 reportedly doled out to them, thereby degenerating to bloody clash.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the incidents and the killings, saying the command’s men were still at the scene of the fracas trying to restore peace and order.