WHAT was meant to be a celebration of the last Eid-el-Kabir carnival in Idikan, Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, turned sour last Friday, as some youths clashed in the middle of the night, destroying over 50 cars in the process.

Crime & Security learnt that the trouble began when some youths from Agbaje area of the city decided to retaliate an alleged attack on them by their counterparts residing at Idikan.



Some of the residents of the area who spoke with Crime & Security said that at about 2.00 a.m. that day, they heard songs and movements of some youths from Agbaje road towards Idikan road, which linked the road nearly opposite Idikan Baptist Church, while destroying vehicles parked by the roadside as they marched on the road.

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In the process, all cars parked on that road were affected, which included commercial vehicles, private cars of some residents and also those of others who came on visit for the Eid-el-Kabir holiday, while about 15 women were sexually assaulted at the carnival.



The chairman of the NURTW, Idikan, who did not want his name in print said the residents woke up on Friday morning to see that all the cars parked on the street were affected.



“We were told by some of our people living within the vicinity that the incident happened around 2.00 a.m. The fight was between the two factions of youths, who organised a carnival at Idikan and Agbaje areas, where they destroyed vehicles from Idikan area to Ibikunle area. Over 50 cars were affected and we have made a report at the Police Station at Iyaganku, while the chairman of the Local Government, Honourable Wasiu Olatubosun was also contacted and he had been here to see the situation of things.



“The fracas has nothing to do with politics. We gathered from a reliable source that it was a complex or ego fight between the two factions. All of us who parked our cars or commercial buses on the roadside were affected and some of us are already fixing windscreen, rear glass and side mirrors by ourselves. We don’t know if there would be any assistance from the government,” he said.



While reacting to the fracas, chairman of Ibadan North-West Local Government, Honourable Wasiu Olatubosun, said he was informed about the development about midnight and he immediately called the DPO at Iyaganku, who mobilised her people to the scene to put the situation under control.



“It is a sad development because many people who had come for the Sallah celebration had their vehicles destroyed. We think some politicians who found the achievements of Governor Abiola Ajimobi intimidating were all out to destroy the peace in the state. The crisis was politically motivated because there was no reason for a street carnival to have degenerated into such large scale destruction. But we are going to stop them. For this reason, we have decided that in this local government, there will not be any street carnival anymore.”



The chairman who was on hand to see things for himself early on Friday, said the local government would see how it would come to the aid of those affected by the mayhem.



The state police command disclosed that it had arrested 10 people in connection with the fracas.

The state police Acting Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Inyeng Ignatius, said those arrested would be prosecuted if they are found culpable in the fracas. “People were picked at random and that is why we don’t want to punish innocent ones. So thorough investigation would be carried out and after that those found to be directly involved will be prosecuted,” he said.

http://whatsupibadan.com/2013/10/23/carnival-turns-sour-in-ibadan/