According to the verified twitter handle of the Oyo State Government, @oyostategovt, the popular Bodija market in Ibadan, the state’s capital, has been shut after gunshots were heard in the market as Police officials and butchers clash on Thursday.
The tweet read:
“News Flash:
“The Oyo State Government has shut down Bodija market for security reasons. This is an aftermath of the sporadic shooting which occurred earlier today in the market and its environs.”
The tweet added that the chairman of Aare Laatosa Local Council Development Area, Adekunle Oladeji, said the closure was to prevent the loss of lives and property.
“It is also to guard against the escalation of violence in the market to other parts of the state,” the tweet said.
Punch reported that the state government had directed that the butchers should relocate to a new abattoir outside the town but the butchers did not agree with the directive.
And on Tuesday, the butchers staged a protest at the state secretariat in Ibadan over the demolition of the abattoir in the market by the government over the weekend.
It was gathered that Thursday’s clash began when some of the butchers accused their leaders of taking gratification from the government to support the relocation order.
The clash led to the closure of shops in the market while traders vacated the market because of the commotion.
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