A number of persons have allegedly been killed during a
clash between soldiers and ticket touts at the popular Ladipo auto spare parts
market in Lagos on Tuesday, July 13.
The Nation reports that while some said three persons
were allegedly killed by the soldiers, others put the figure at five.
There are
different versions of what led to the clash. While some claim the soldiers
stormed the market and began to shoot indiscriminately, others allege that the
soldiers of the Operation MESA opened fire on traders following a disagreement
over an item bought from a trader.
“We were here at
our shops when soldiers came and started shooting. We all ran for our lives but
some of our brothers were killed, others got injured. What we heard was that
one of the soldiers had tried to return an item he got from a shop and that was
what led to the scuffle'' a trader said
Another trader,
Emeka who claimed his brother was among those killed, decried the unfair
treatment meted to them by the operatives.
“My brother has been killed. The operatives intentionally
shot at us instead of shooting towards the sky. I even saw one of the
operatives who positioned himself in order to get a good view of his target
before shooting.
A young boy was also among those killed''Emeka said
The spokesman for
Nigerian Army’s 81 Division, Major Olaniyi Osoba, said an investigation into
the incident has already commenced.
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