₦airaland Forum

slimyem: still nothing on why he is ANTONIO FERNANDEZ and not ANTONIO OGUNJIMI or something..
I found this intersting however..

Ishilove: As in ehn...

[size=14pt]Again, Madness and Mayhem[/size]

It has been a harrowing time in Nigeria ’s commercial capital as clashes between OPC and Hausa in Lagos leave 100 dead, 460 injured and countless refugees

By Felix Umoru

THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF IMPENDING CALAMity that fateful morning of February 2 when,Juliet Sunday, mother of three and staff of Lagos Univer-sity Teaching Hospital, LUTH, left to visit her relations at Ketu. Like other residents at 5, Taiwo Street , Idi-Araba, she left with nothing except her handbag containing a few naira notes for transport. She hoped to return in the evening.

Sunday never returned to her house. She is now a refugee in a make-shift camp reserved for victims of last week’s communal clash in Lagos , between Hausa and members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC. But she is lucky. Many of her neighbours died in a bloody battle February 2.

Sunday’s residential building, a 10-room bungalow was razed down. The death toll, so far, has been put at more than 100. Seven of the dead were policemen. More than 1,000 houses were burnt and more than 400 people sustained injuries.

There was widespread looting of goods in shops and warehouses. The clash was so bloody that Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State closed down primary and secondary schools in the affected areas. Armed military personnel were later deployed to control the situation. As at press time last week, the atmosphere in many parts of Lagos remained tense amidst fears of reprisal attack in some parts of the north.

The most affected areas of Lagos were Mushin and Idi-Araba with Alfa Nda Street , Ilasa, Olayinka Close, Ishaga Close, Bakare Street and Morgan Street bearing the brunt of the battle. Many houses on these streets were burnt down. A building complex comprising 20 shops located at Fagbenro Street , Idi-Araba was burnt. Most of its residents, Newswatch learnt, were Hausa. Six other houses were touched in different streets. Charred remains of human bodies and burnt tires littered the streets of Idi-Araba. A burnt human body was left very close to the gate of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, when Newswatch visited the scene of the violence last week.

Most residents, especially Yoruba, were still moving out of their houses to various refugee camps for fear of fresh attack. Most of the Yoruba in the Ishaga-Idi-Araba side of the area, which is heavily populated by Hausa, deserted their houses. Some of them now live temporarily with their relatives in other parts of Lagos and in refugee camps. The Hausa whose houses were burnt down are being housed by their friends and relations.

An account of the cause of the clash was given by Garba Ba’are, Sarikin Hausawa. According to him, the clash started February 2, 2002 , when a young Hausa man went to a nearby bush to ease himself. Garba told Newswatch that the said bush was very close to the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, secretariat at Idi-Araba. The boy was said to have been arrested by members of the OPC, who demanded for N2,500 from their victim. When he refused, he was allegedly manhandled.

The Sarikin Hausawa said, when the case was reported to him, he sent his aides on a peace mission, and that his messengers were attacked by the OPC. The violence continued for the most part of last week, spreading to CMS and Obalende in Central Lagos . There were also clashes at Onipanu, a suburb of Lagos . The Hausa told Newswatch that when the police arrived the scene of the violence, the OPC re-treated but resumed their attack when the police returned to their barracks.
Ba’are urged the federal government to enforce its ban on OPC. He said despite the federal government ban on the militia group, their nefarious activities had continued without being challenged. The Sarikin Hausawa observed that the Hausa were ready to live in harmony with the Yoruba.

The secretary to the Sarkin Hausawa, Garba Garba-Chede, told Newswatch that they identified the OPC members from the inscription OPC on their shirts and headbands. Garba-Chede urged the federal government to call community leaders for dialogue from time to time.

The baale of Idi-Araba and Mushin was said to have died several years ago. The tussle over the next baale is still on. The Yoruba community in Idi-Araba and Mushin have no baale (community leader) for now.

Taju Ayinla, an elderly Yoruba man refused to speak to Newswatch formally. But he later spoke off record, explaining that he personally had no problem with the Hausa since he lives among them. He, however, advised the OPC to lay down their arms and allow peace to reign. He said what mattered was not who started what, but for peace to reign.

The Lagos State police commissioner, Mike Okiro said last week that the situation was returning to normal and that his men were patrolling the area.

Anyim Pius Anyim, senate president, implored the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the situation at Idi-Araba did not get out of hand.

Buba Marwa, retired brigadier-general and former military governor of Lagos State , called for caution and patience of all Nigerians. He urged Nigerians to learn to live together as one. He decried the killings in Idi-Araba.

Thousands of victims who were evacuated from Idi-Araba to the Abalti barracks on Lagos mainland, were rejected by the army. Newswatch learnt that they were rejected because victims of the Ikeja Cantonment explosions which occured January 27, had already filled the space available there. The victims were later moved by soldiers in 10 lorries and buses to the Police College , Ikeja. They were registered and given food and shelter.

But the victims evacuated to LUTH were not so lucky. There has been no food and shelter for some of them yet. Josephine Bernard, a resident of Bamishile Street , Idi-Araba and other evacuated women, numbering about 10 were left to cater for themselves at the entrance of LUTH. Bernard told Newswatch: “All we need now is food and shelter since all our belongings have been burnt.” The emergency unit of LUTH and passages are already filled to capacity by the displaced residents of Idi-Araba.

Ayo Olagunju, public relations officer, LUTH, denied that casualties were being rejected by LUTH. He told Newswatch that the hospital management called off their strike February 4, to carter for victims of the Ikeja Cantonment bomb explosions. He said the hospital was open to all casualties from the Idi-Araba violence since most displaced residents were already being housed in the hospital premises.

There have been several clashes between OPC and the Hausa and other ethnic groups in Lagos since the return of democracy in 1999. These clashes have resulted in the death of several hundreds of persons.
In September 1999, eight people died when OPC members attacked workers of Apapa Wharf and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos to show their support for some Yoruba speaking members of the dock workers union who were defeated in an election.

In 1999 also at least 14 persons were reported dead when OPC members and Ijaw youths clashed in Ajegunle area of Lagos . About 120 persons lost their lives when the group clashed with Hausa traders at Mile 12 and Ketu area of Lagos in November, 1999. The OPC has also been having regular clashes with the police. Seven persons reportedly lost their lives during the OPC clash with policemen in Festac town in November 1999. At least 90 persons, two of them policemen, were killed during a clash between OPC and the police in Lagos , July 10, 2000 , while two died during a confrontation between OPC members and policemen attached to the United States Embassy in Lagos in October 2000.

Ganiyu Adams, leader of a faction of OPC was arrested by the police, August 22, 2001 . The police slammed a 23-count charge on him when he was arraigned before the Ikeja chief magistrate’s court August 24. The charges include conspiracy, arson, treason, murder, armed robbery, unlawful possession of fire-arms and ammunition, wilful destruction of property and inflicting bodily harm on his victims. He was set free.

Thompson Adewale, the secretary, Yoruba council of elders, believes OPC is useful and helpful in curbing armed robbery. He spoke to the press immediately Ganiyu was arrested in 2001.

Tinubu invited OPC in June 2001, to join forces with the state security agencies in the fight against escalating crime in Lagos . According to the governor, the security problem in Lagos had grown beyond what the present members of the police could effectively contain. He said he invited the ethnic militia because of its commendable performance in the war against crime just as he acknowledged that some members of OPC derailed, leading to the subsequent ban on the outfit.

Additional reports by Eno Reuben, Solomon Ibharuneafe.

Newswatch Volume 35 No 7, February 18, 2002

jackbauersballs: lol

In 2002 my entire street went up in arms the day the Aboki tried to retaliate, after the OPC had destroyed them at Oko-Oba abbatoir.

The marauding aboki turned back.

Go to new oko-oba and ask, the environment stank for days with the number of Aboki corpses littered.

We Yoruba are proud and fearsome warriors, we do not runaway in our wives blouses when attacked.

We get busy.

Ishilove: Wow, naptu said 'Bleep'! My friend typed an obscenity!

chelseabmw: THE HIGHEST I HAVE SEEN IN NOLLYHOOD IS A BETTLE 1985 VOLKSWAGEN BUG TYRE BURNT DOWN......NOT THE FULL CAR

Ishilove: Nay, I disagree. Even if there is an agreement to marry in the presence of both parents, but the bride price hasn't been paid, you are not yet husband and wife.

Where I come from, once the bride price is paid the marriage becomes legal. The rest become mere formality. Personally, I doubt if I will do a church wedding.