A clash between soldiers and ticket touts at the popular Ladipo auto spare parts market in Lagos on Tuesday, July 13, has reportedly left a number of persons killed.
According to a report by The Nation, 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.
