One shot as hoodlums clash over extortion in Kwara

At least one person sustained bullet wound when suspected street urchins yesterday invaded the popular Sunday flea market around Post Office area, Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, exporting marketers and engaged themselves in free-for- all fight.
Post-Office is usually busy on Sundays with business activities especially by those who trade in used clothing materials, foot-wears and bags amongst others.

It was gathered that the suspects who brandished objects such as machetes, steels and broken bottles, threw the market into confusion around 10am as those who had come for early morning shopping fled the scene.

Blueprint gathered that a number of suspected hoodlums had invaded the market to extort those who displaced their wares forcing them to cough out what they called (owo -Ile), land charge, but were confronted by another gang leading to fracas.

Narrating her experience, a jewelry seller in the area told Blueprint that some miscreants from a particular section of Ilorin had been extorting the marketers under the guise of land charge, but hoodlums around Post-Office garage wanted to resist the former resorting to the fracas ensued.
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the timely arrival of a combined team of police mend drafted to the area, which fired canisters of tear-gas, saved the situation from degenerating into a bloody day.

Blueprint was informed that the shot-suspect was later taken away by the police in a Hilux van.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the incident, but said no arrest was made.
At least one person sustained bullet wound when suspected street urchins yesterday invaded the popular Sunday flea market around Post Office area, Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, exporting marketers and engaged themselves in free-for- all fight.

Post-Office is usually busy on Sundays with business activities especially by those who trade in used clothing materials, foot-wears and bags amongst others.
It was gathered that the suspects who brandished objects such as machetes, steels and broken bottles, threw the market into confusion around 10am as those who had come for early morning shopping fled the scene.

Blueprint gathered that a number of suspected hoodlums had invaded the market to extort those who displaced their wares forcing them to cough out what they called (owo -Ile), land charge, but were confronted by another gang leading to fracas.

Narrating her experience, a jewelry seller in the area told Blueprint that some miscreants from a particular section of Ilorin had been extorting the marketers under the guise of land charge, but hoodlums around Post-Office garage wanted to resist the former resorting to the fracas ensued.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the timely arrival of a combined team of police mend drafted to the area, which fired canisters of tear-gas, saved the situation from degenerating into a bloody day.
Blueprint was informed that the shot-suspect was later taken away by the police in a Hilux van.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi, confirmed the incident, but said no arrest was made.