Two persons have been reportedly killed when a fight broke out between men of Oyo State Park Management System (PMS) and some phone sellers in Ibadan, on Wednesday in Iwo Road area of the Ibadan, the state capital.
One of the victims, who was identified as one of the sons of the shop owners at Iwo Road, while the other person allegedly killed is said to be a member of PMS.
Several property were said to have been destroyed while many people were also injured during the fight.
On the other side of same coin, rumour had it that the attack on the shop owners was said to be in continuation of an earlier attack and a counter attack between the PMS boys and members of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on Monday at Oremeji-Agugu area of Ibadan.
The Monday attack was also said to have resulted in the death of two persons, one allegedly each from both camps of the PMS and banned NURTW.
However, peace was shattered on Wednesday when the PMS boys stormed the Baba Onilu area of Iwo Road, attacking the shops where phones were being sold.
They were said to have unleash terror on the phone sellers and shop owners destroying kiosk, show-glasses, and also looting at the same time.
One member of the NURTW was said to have been killed in the process while many others suffered varying degrees of injuries.
One of the shop owners’ son was said to have been killed in an effort to identify those fomenting trouble on the property, but there were various accounts of his death as at the time of filling the report.
While some said he was stabbed with a machette on his chest and lower abdomen, other unconfirmed sources said he was hit with a charm.
The incident led to a heavy crisis as people, commuters and residents scamper to safety as sources said there were heavy gunshots by the PMS boys while the crisis lasted.
In an effort to defend themselves, suspected members of the sacked NURTW were said to have returned the gun battle while also throwing objects in the direction of the attackers.
Many shops, business owners and traders who sell their wares in the axis were caught in the web as many tried to quickly pack, many others left their wares unattended to in a bid to ensure safety. Corporate organisations including banks closed shop hurriedly locked up their offices while many customers were trapped in the banking hall.
Meanwhile, as the dust settled and the body of one of the shop owners was found by the entrance of a shopping complex, the youths in the area who knew him later carried the corpse and headed to the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan in protest.
Efforts of the security operatives at the entrance gate of the Secretariat to resist the protesters proved abortive as they gained entrance into the Secretariat Complex.
The youths came on bikes, tricycles and on foot causing a lot of panic to the workers and people who have businesses in and around the Secretariat complex.
The protesters carrying the corpse arrived the Secretariat shortly after Governor Seyi Makinde finished the weekly security meeting with the Security stakeholders in the state.
They dropped the corpse by the entrance of the Governors office, calling on the governor to come out and see what the PMS boys did.
The angry youths, who demanded to see the governor, were shouting the name of the Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of Park Managers in Oyo State, Mukaila Lamidi (Auxiliary), saying he had have been involved in the incident that led to the death of the middle-aged man.
The youths who vowed to meet with the governor and give him the details of what transpired at the Iwo Road area of Ibadan and the death of one of them, refused to leave the gate of the office of the governor, but the governor could not attend to them while the protest lasted.
Many workers quickly locked up their offices while those who parked their cars outside also ran to move their cars to safety.
With a reinforcement from the men of the state Anti-Crime Patrol Team, Operation Burst and Amotekun Corp, the entrances to the Secretariat were shut, leaving those trapped within the complex to use only Simeon Adebo Training Centre as their only exit route.
The intervention of government functionaries and presence of reinforced security team prevented the issue from escalating into another crisis within the Secretariat Complex.
Many of the angry youths who came later were also prevented from gaining entrance into the Secretariat manned by heavily armed combined security team.
After much persuasion, the corpse of the victim was later moved to the morgue in a state government ambulance.
As at the time of filling this report, major roads around the capital city were deserted with tension and fear of reprisal attacks. However, heavy security presence and blowing of police siren could be heard across major parts of the city. The Iwo Road axis was immediately put under heavy security surveillance with a lane of the road totally blocked, leaving only the other lane for obviously panicking users who were trying to return to their homes from their place of work.
Government functionaries who were on ground at the Secretariat to ensure that the crisis did not escalate inside the secretariat included the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde of Security, CP Sunday Odukoya (Rtd); Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa; the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello; and the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Olushola Akande; among others.