There was chaos on Wednesday at the Lagos State
Abattoir, Agege, as Hausa and Fulani traders clashed.
No fewer than three persons were killed, while more than
20 people reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury
and were rushed to different hospitals in the area.
We counted six vehicles that were vandalised and some cattle that were
also reportedly killed by the warring groups.
Our correspondent observed patrol vehicles from the
Elere, Abattoir, Alakuko police divisions, while some
military officers and men of the Rapid Response Squad
were deployed in the area to maintain peace and order.
Our correspondent gathered that the two groups started
having issues after the Nigeria Railway Corporation
demolished some shanties and shops erected around the
railway line.
The structures were reportedly owned by the Hausa, who
were majorly scrap collectors.
They were said to have accused the Fulani, who were
cattle dealers of being responsible for their ordeal, adding
that the Fulani encouraged the government to demolish
the structures to facilitate easy rail transport of their
cows from the north to the abattoir.
A trader, Jimoh Umoru, said crisis erupted after a Hausa
woman was assaulted by a Fulani man, who had bought
food from her and refused to pay.
He said, “The Hausa are majorly scrap collectors, and
they ply their trade around the railway line where they
also built their shanties.
“On Saturday, the government demolished their shanties
and shops and many of them were displaced and lost
their means of livelihood. They felt that their Fulani
brothers, who deal in cattle, were behind what happened
to them.
“The matter came to a head on Tuesday after a Fulani
man bought food from a Hausa woman, and refused to
pay. There was argument between them and the man
assaulted the girl. That was how the two tribes started
fighting each other.
“Around 1am on Wednesday, some of the Fulani youths
invaded the apartments of the Hausa and killed some of
them.
“By 5am, the Hausa launched a reprisal and injured
many of the Fulani and destroyed their property. The
Hausa suffered higher casualties.”
Our correspondent was told that some of the victims
were taken to the New Merit Hospitals in the Oko-Oba
area of Agege.
A trader, who did not identify himself, blamed the cattle
dealers for the mayhem, saying they were intolerant of
other traders.
“The Fulani in the market are not tolerant. Any little
disagreement, they would start threatening mayhem. The
government should be proactive because the Hausa have
vowed to avenge their slain brothers. The battle is
always at night when people have gone to bed. We are
not safe,” he added.
When approached the Hausa group in the
market, they declined comment.
“We lost three of our people. We won’t say more than
that. At the right time, we will call the press,” one of
them, who did not identify himself, said.
The spokesperson for the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria, Lagos State branch, Salisu
Jikantoro, said 20 Fulani men were injured, adding that
vehicles belonging to the Seriki Fulani were vandalised.
Jikantoro explained that the grouse of the Hausa people
was that the Seriki Fulani refused to fight for them when
their structures were demolished.
He said, “Last week, the NRC demolished structures
where the scrap dealers do their business. The scrap
dealers came to complain to the Seriki Fulani and he told
them to comply with the government’s directive. He said
after the demolition, the little space left should be
managed. They left disappointed because they were
expecting him to order them to start fighting
“Today (Wednesday), around 2am, they attacked the
cattle dealers to protest against what the government
did to them. They entered into the market, burgled some
of our shops and beat up people who were sleeping. We
didn’t lose anybody, but 20 of our traders were seriously
injured.
“Six vehicles, one belonging to the chairman of the cattle
dealers, and five others belonging to the Seriki Fulani,
were vandalised. Seven of our cattle died as a result of
this clash and we have decided that we are not selling
cattle today to protest against this havoc.”
Jikantoro said his group gathered that the Hausa were
planning to attack them and had started recruiting gangs
from the Mile 12 and Ojota areas of Lagos State.
The Galadima Yamma of the Abattoir Market, Alhaji
Umar Adam, said he met the police presence by the time
he arrived at the market.
“There was a misunderstanding between some Fulani
men and the scrap dealers and truck pushers operating
in the railway line.
“The issue was not properly handled and it escalated.
But with the intervention of the police, calm has been
restored.
“The major cause of all this was the demolition carried
out on the railway line,” he added.
The New Merit Hospitals
where some of the victims were reportedly taken to, he
was told that two people were brought into the hospital.
The medical director was said to be unavailable, but a
nurse, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The
two people had cuts in their head and hand.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos,
said one person died in the incident.
She said, “At about 1am today, we received a distress
call that there was a serious fight between the Hausa
and the Fulani communities in the Abattoir.
“The report indicated that the crisis started after a young
Hausa woman was beaten by a Fulani man.
“It degenerated into serious fight and subsequent
destruction of property.
“The command’s operatives from Area G, RRS and
Abattoir division were moved in to quell the crisis and
normalcy has been returned to the area.”
She said the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai
Owoseni, had ordered a peace parley between the two
groups, adding that the police arrested four suspects.