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The phone sellers at Iwo road area of Ibadan who were allegedly attacked by members of the Park Management System have explained why the corpse of one of the victims of the mayhem was taken to the governor’s office at the state secretariat, in Agodi.
The chairman of the traders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Fresh 105.9FM that the traders took the corpse to secretariat to show the governor “because he is the one that said Operation Burst should not assist us.”
He continued:”They attacked us in the presence of security operatives. We were told by Operation Burst that the governor said they should not shoot. So, we took the corpse to him to see what he caused, that his administration did this one and the promise he gave us was different. We were only maket men and women, we aren’t collecting money from the government.
“Most of our people are graduates, we did not ask the government to give us job. But the governor refused to address us when we got there. We will try to see the governor again; if he likes, he should address us and if he likes, he should not. The governor was aware of the incident since yesterday evening, but he has refused to say anything.”
Speaking on what lead to the mayhem, the chairman said: “One of the shop owners wanted to drive into the complex, but the public transporters did not allow him to enter. His colleagues came out to help him park the car, that’s how the park managers brought out canes and started flogging people, saying that they do not have the right to park the car. But everything has been settled before the leader of the transporters arrived, that’s how another fight started. The son of the owner of the complex was killed while trying to lock the gate of the complex.The boys of the park manager had earlier looted phones and laptops of those selling in front of the complex and those by the road side. They wanted to enter the complex too, it was in the process they killed the son of the owner of the complex.
“It was not only the son of the complex owner that died, he was just the only one that people knew very well. There are others that died too and those that suffered severe injuries that have been hospitalised.Those selling phones does not have guns or machetes- it was not a clash, it was an attack by the park managers. The complex owner’s son that was killed studied in the UK and has a master’s degree. He was a very simple and easy going person, they just killed him without any reason.”
The traders added that the security operatives on ground saluted Auxiliary when he arrived.
“Those that followed him entered the complex, started attacking and injuring people in the presence of the security operatives.They killed people in the presence of security operatives.They attacked us; when they first attacked us, our boys pursued them. Security operatives came and everything was resolved. Later, we just saw people coming; they were led by Auxiliary. He was putting on yellow top with face cap. The security operatives couldn’t stop him and he told his boys to attack them. Those in the hospital are many,” the traders lamented.