One dead, 3 Injured in clash over revenue collection

JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin

One person is feared dead and three others seriously injured on Thursday following a bloody clash between two rival ticketing groups at the busy Lagos Street area of the Oba Market in Benin, Edo state capital.

The clash completely halted all commercial activities in the entire area as market women and other traders scampered for safety.

It took the intervention of a combined security team of policemen and soldiers who fired teargas cannisters to disperse the warring groups and restore normalcy to the area.

Trouble was said to have started following a disagreement between the two groups over the number of people issuing tickets from each group to traders in the market.

One of the groups identified as Obaze, allegedly approached the other group known as Osula with a view to harmonising the number of people issuing tickets from the two groups and the areas of operation within the market.

It was further gathered that the Osula group which reportedly had more revenue collectors, rejected the request, leading to a heated argument and a clash between the two groups.

According to an eyewitness, the argument escalated into a free-for-all, with the combatants wielding dangerous weapons and the Osula group allegedly shooting a member of the rival group.

The gunshot victim was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention. It is however unconfirmed that the person is dead despite rumours claiming so.

Besides, a vehicle was also set on fire during the clash. “The Osula and Obaze families control Lagos Street market. They issue tickets to traders here for revenue collection. The Obaze group complained that they have only five people issuing tickets while the Osula people have 18,” the eyewitness said.

“So, they went to meet them (Osula) to make everything equal. But the Osula refused and they started fighting.

“Somebody from the Osula group shot a member of the Obaze group and another person was serious injured and rushed to one hospital. But I don’t know where they were taken to,” the eyewitness explained.

The State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, who confirmed that “the clash was about revenue sharing,” when he visited the scene of the incident, said some arrests has been made.