There was tension on Friday in Lagos, as two factions of Hausa traders' unions clashed over the control of the popular Mile 12 Market in Ketu area of the metropolis.

At least seven people were seriously injured and one person feared dead, as loyalists of two chairmanship aspirants at the market attacked each other, using dangerous weapons.

The timely arrival of policemen at the scene prevented the clash from snowballing into a major crisis at the market as other ethnic groups had begun to mobilise their members.


Saturday Tribune gathered that a supposed new chairman had taken over the market when the former chairman reportedly insisted that he won the election and that he remained the authentic chairman.


His alleged invasion of the market was said to have met stiff resistance from the new chairman and a free -for-all ensued between their loyalists.


Similarly, there was a clash between motor vehicle assistants, popularly known as motor boys over whose turn to load and offload vehicles at the market.


It was learnt that the clash started when two members of different associations clashed over whose turn to load and offload a truck.


The two motor boys were said to have engaged each other in a serious clash with each claiming to have the turn to offload goods from a truck.


The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Joseph Jaiyeoba, confirmed the "little crises" between two factions of the union of the market and also confirmed that some people were injured.


He, however, denied that anybody was killed in the incident.