The Lagos State Police Command and the leadership of Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market,have disagreed over the causality figures recorded during the crisis that oc urged at the market recently.
The Lagos State Commissioner of police, Hakeem Odumosu, while parading suspects at the command headquarters, Ikeja on Wednesday insisted that nobody died in the crisis between the traders and the Air force personnel.
He claimed that it was only three people that sustained injury during the crisis and they are receiving treatment at the hospital, while the command is also working with the Air force authority to arrest the personnel for taken laws into their hands.
But,Chief Emmanuel Mbamara, the unit chairman of Aguiyi Ironsi International market, Ladipo where the clash happened, said it was unfortunate for police to claim nobody died during the clash in the market.
He disclosed that one Felix Onu,28,was shot dead by Air force personnel amand those injured and presently receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital as Chidinma Ifeanyi, Makeup Ekwuna, Ifeanyi Enyi and Chikezie Nlewem.
He maintained that the crisis was caused because of kickstarter that was bought eight months ago by an Airforce personnel and later returned it because it was faulty .
He added that the officer needed a refund of his money or the seller should replace it for him with a new one.
He told reporters that he was somewhere when the information reached him, but raced to the market only to find people scampering for safety on account of gunshots fired by security operatives.
He said: “Immediately I entered into the market with the president General we were able to calm the traders with the assistance of the DPO Isolo and I went to my unit and addressed my colleagues and after talking to them I received a call that those Airforce personnel have been arrested by some military men at the Army resettlement centre, when I got there, their commander was saying they acted on self defence that it was the traders that first attacked them which was not true.
” When I checked their operational vehicle two of our traders were held down and the commander begged we should follow him to his office at Airforce Base, claiming it mandatory for their boys to shot whenever they are in danger and I told the commander to shot me as well because he was already taken side that was how we left the office”
The President General of the market, Mr Jude Nwankwo also said that the military personnel have been troubling them in the market for long.
He added:” This is the time we are going to stopped selling goods to the military men and we have also shutdown the market in honour of our brother who died and those who sustained injuries.
