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One person has been confirmed dead while many others suffered varying degrees of injuries as hoodlums in their hundreds shattered the peaceful atmosphere of Elekuro area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Tuesday.
The hoodlums unleashed terror in the area for about three hours before a combined team of security operatives arrived to stop the mayhem.
Before the security operatives arrived, the hoodlums were said to have wrecked havoc at Labo, Orita Aperin, Elekuro, Kosodo, Oranyan areas of Ibadan where they used dangerous weapons including animal bones, bottles, pistols, nails, and clubs.
Many innocent residents were reportedly injured while scampering for safety. The cause of the clash could not be ascertained as at the timeof filing this report.
But sources hinted that the hoodlums have been threatening each other and that the fracas has been brewing for about three days until the situation escalated on Tuesday.
The National President, Soludero Hunters Association, Oba Wahab Ajijolaanabi, who led his men to calm the situation before the arrival of security operatives confirmed the death of one person.
“A man was killed at Kosodo area. He was stabbed to death. They were about 700 hoodlums who were invited from neighbouring streets. They used pistols, animal bones, bottles and clubs to stab and wounded many people,” he said.
When contacted, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, also confirmed that a man whose identity was yet to be ascertained was killed in the fracas, adding that the effort of the police yielded result in dispersing the hoodlums and stopping the violent clash.
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He added that one suspect has been arrested.
“They attacked themselves at around Idi-Oro, Wesley College. It has been on for the past three days. Police have been on their trail, trying to make sure they forestall all these attacks.
“Police dispersed them and they all ran away. One died and one person was arrested,” Fadeyi said.