It was barely a few minutes past 8 am on Thursday when my line editor alerted me to a fire incident at Ile-Epo in the Agbado Oke Odo area of the state. As a roving journalist, it seemed like just another emergency incident one might encounter at any given time.
I was getting ready to head out when another message popped up on my phone, indicating the same incident. This time it was from the online editor, who hinted at a possible pipeline explosion caused by bunkering activities.
I hurriedly prepared to leave, sensing a more serious situation unfolding as I made my way to the location.
I was approximately 12 kilometres away from my destination when I spotted thick smoke billowing into the sky. Seeing this, especially during a period of fuel scarcity, strengthened the impression that it was indeed a pipeline explosion.
However, upon reaching the area, the scene was different; the fire seemed to be emanating directly from within the Oke-Odo market. Could there possibly be a pipeline running through the market? This thought puzzled me.
While I had managed to reach the area on my own, gaining entry into the market to locate the source of the fire was no longer solely within my control, considering the magnitude of the blaze. Consequently, I approached a road transport official near the entrance to inquire about the cause of the fire and the best route to access it. As expected, assistance didn’t come without a price. He demanded payment on the spot, stating, ‘O ma fun a wa lowo o,’ literally means, ‘You’ll have to give us money.’ It was during this exchange that he provided the information I needed, albeit with a touch of exaggeration, cautioning me, “Be careful there, they are fighting and many people have been killed.”
As I swiftly entered, I observed several traders hastily evacuating their goods from the market. Manoeuvring through the maze of market stalls, I navigated a muddy passage towards the epicentre of the fire. Emerging into an open area, I was met with the remnants of what once thrived as a bustling fruit market. Right there on the ground were baskets of mashed fruits. Also ahead of me was a thick fire that had just razed some shops torched during the fight. This includes a truck fully loaded with oranges also burnt.
However, the individuals nearby appeared distressed, undoubtedly affected by the loss of their goods in the clash. While I felt reluctant not to intrude on their grief, my need for information made me muster the courage to inquire. It was at this point that I began to glean insights into the cause of the incident. Advancing towards the epicentre of the crisis, I encountered a gathering of traders, their expressions a mix of shock and dismay at what had just befallen the source of their livelihoods.
Amidst expressions of disbelief and open lamentations over their goods which were reduced to rubble, I cautiously approached those willing to share their accounts. They revealed that the conflict had erupted over a bet between a betting agent and a customer residing in the nearby shanties.
One of the affected traders said her goods were not spared in the clash. “I sell tomatoes and onions and other condiments. When I heard what happened this morning, I quickly rushed down only to discover that my goods had been affected.”
Furthermore, I learnt that the escalation of the crisis could have been prevented had the police intervention not been hampered during the clash. All the while, there were no fire service personnel in sight, but I managed to take some pictures as well as a short video, yet with every sense of cautiousness.
As I continued to navigate the area, seeking further updates, an unsettling feeling gripped me, suggesting that some aggrieved individuals were still amongst us. The thought had yet to fizzle out when I started to hear some strange voices. Since I couldn’t understand the language, I quickly retreated from the spot to avoid being caught up in another clash and, of course, to be able to tell the story by myself.
As I retreated, I saw some other traders who sat close to their shops while working ways to either evacuate their goods or guard them against a possible extension of the clash towards their end. The traders were also heard complaining about the market leaders whom they claimed had failed to take action against the dwellers in the shanties, despite prior warnings.
“We saw this coming and we called the attention of the market and police authorities to it but nothing was done. The hoodlums, especially the ones occupying the shanties, have always been causing trouble and have also been a threat to the traders. I think the police will do the needful now that this has happened,” one of the traders claimed.
They accused the leadership of the market of only being concerned about the collection of levies. The siren of a fire service truck was next to be heard, prompting me to dash back to the spot where the fire was burning. But on getting there, the situation had become tense in what seemed like a resurgence of the clash.
This was a situation the fire service truck unknowingly drove into and within a twinkle of an eye, stones and all kinds of strange objects started flying around with most of them being hurled at the truck. At this point, shop owners who stood there lamenting rather considered life more important than the goods destroyed as they scampered for safety. Also, the driver of the truck, without hesitation, quickly reversed even as the side glass was shattered in the process.
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The video I was recording also ended abruptly as I quickly moved away from the spot due to the volatility of the atmosphere. Meanwhile, a team of armed policemen arrived at the scene almost immediately and started to fire shots to disperse the troublemakers in what led to another stampede within the market. The presence of the police would later calm the situation as they headed straight to the shanties to dislodge some miscreants who were said to have become a threat to the environment and had also allegedly used the opportunity to loot the shops while the crisis lasted.
The team of policemen also stumbled on a drug den during its operation in the market.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed this later in the day said that in an attempt to dislodge the hoodlums, the law enforcement officers stumbled upon a hidden drug den that had been operating in plain sight.
Meanwhile, over 50 suspects linked to the clashes were apprehended, and the shanties they occupied were demolished, effectively dislodging them from their illicit activities.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, also directed the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums and equally warned that the command would decisively deal with anyone found breaching the peace, by the law.
