*Says, ‘he returned car parts sold, claiming they were expensive

*Save us from incessant harassment by Military personnel— Traders cry out

*Military personnel involved should be brought to account—Civil society

By Evelyn Usman

Commercial activities at the popular Ladipo market, in Mushin area of Lagos, went on, as usual, Tuesday, with truck pushers conveying different motor parts from one end of the market to the other; owners of the goods leading the way to where their vehicles were either parked or to bus stops, where they boarded buses to their destinations.

There were disturbing noises from young men commonly referred to as hustlers, who tried to outsmart each other in the game of luring visitors to patronize their bosses.

Then all of a sudden, an incident that brought an abrupt halt to these activities occurred!

The sound of sporadic gunshots rented the air. The entire market was thrown into a state of fear and tumult.  Traders abandoned their shops and wares as they scampered in different directions to avoid being hit by stray bullets.

Visitors who went in pairs to buy parts for their vehicles, went different ways in the stampede.

The killing 

The gunshots were being fired at the Aguiyi Ironsi plaza wing.  Some bullets hit some traders, killing one of them on the spot.

The deceased, identified as Felix Nnana Onu, was hit by a bullet in his lower abdomen. His body was deposited at Isolo General Hospital morgue.

READ ALSO: One killed, 3 injured as military personnel, traders clash in Lagos

Three others: Ifeanyi Eyin, Makwo Ekwula and Chikezie  Okechukwu were also hit by bullets, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the confusion.

Starling discoveries

There had been different versions of reports in the media on how trouble started.  But Vanguard was able to contact the trader at the centre of controversy, who has been into hiding since the incident occurred, apparently out of fear of being arrested.

Surprisingly, the trader identified simply as Uche, is from the same state as the soldier that called in his colleagues who opened fire on traders.

 It was also gathered that the soldier who is serving in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was once an apprentice to the father of the trader he (soldier) had an argument that degenerated into an unfortunate scenario at the market.

In fact, he was said to have served Uche’s father for over five years.

It was also learned that the soldier identified simply as Alhaji,  from  Agatu Local Government Area of Benue state, is also a car dealer in Uyo. Uche has been assisting him to purchase car parts.

Things fall apart

 However, things fell apart between the soldier and Uche last year, on the purchase of some vehicle parts.

In this interview, 32-year-old Uche revealed the exact cause of the incident that led to the shootings in the market.

Hear him: “ About September last year, he (soldier) bought one side of the Spider Jeep with a fog lamp.

“He also bought a bumper. Everything was N98,000. I did the waybill to him, from Lagos to Uyo.

“The next day,  he called to say that the items were expensive. He said he would send them back to me.

“I told him we agreed on the price before he sent money to me. I also made him understand that I have been sending goods to him before, without argument.

“Before then,  I had sent a gearbox for a Forerunner jeep, steering ram for  Avalon and Lexus 350. That was the third time I  was transacting business with him.

The difficulties

“I  told him if he sent the goods, it would be difficult to get his money back. This was because  I sell motor engines, I don’t sell body parts. Two days later he sent the goods back to me.

“But at the park, I discovered that the bumper had torn. It wasn’t the same way I gave it to him. I called him on the phone and informed him that the bumper was torn and that I won’t pick it up at the park.

“He told me to take it and do whatever I wanted with it. But I insisted I was going to leave it there.  But I ended up going with all the items.

Argument

“When I got to the market, he called me on the phone and demanded his money.  I told him I was just getting to the market. He hung up on me and never called again.

“He called my dad around January  2021. My dad told him to forget about the matter that he was going to pay him. Since then, he did not call me again, until on Tuesday, when he came to the shop to demand for his N98,000.

“I was shocked when I saw him at the market because  I thought my father had settled him.  I had forgotten about the money and it was no longer in my record.

“I tried to calm him but he would not listen. He started shouting. That was why I asked him to go to the union.

“He did not wear a uniform. He was in mufti.  When he got to the office, he kept shouting until things went awry. I had to escape.

“He came from Uyo, where he is serving.  He buys accidented cars and sells them in Uyo. I don’t know what came over him. I believe the torn bumper caused everything”.

The showdown

The soldier as gathered, stormed out of the union’s office, only to return with an OP MESSA  Hilux van, in which was a team of Air Force personnel.

An attempt to forcefully take one of the traders away was resisted by his colleagues.

The traders were said to have come out to resist further intimidation by the Military personnel, thereby leading to the sporadic shootings that left one of them dead.

Reactions

Reactions have been trailing what was described as highhandedness on the part of the  Military personnel, with calls to the federal government and Military authorities to probe the matter.

One of them is from the  Executive Director, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULACC Mr. Okechukwu Nwagunma.

He called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order an investigation into the matter with a view to unraveling the circumstances and identifying the perpetrators.

He said, “ All the military personnel responsible should be brought to account. The victims should also be accorded adequate remedies while steps should be taken to avoid a repeat of such reckless and shameful episodes.

 ”The role of the military in a civilised democracy is clearly spelt out and does not include meddling in civil matters.

“The arms given to the military and purchased with tax payers money are given to them to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria and not to use them to kill their fellow citizens whom they are employed and paid to protect.

“This latest action underscores the impunity that continues to fuel willful, unjustifiable, illegal and excessive use of force by security forces against civilians.

“Otherwise, why would the military, so soon again, be involved in yet another incident of the use of live bullets on unarmed civilians while investigations are yet to be concluded into the similar use of deadly force against protesters at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos in October 2020?

Air Force reacts

The  Director of  Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, when contacted,  disclosed that the team that went to the market had been taken to the Logistics Command of the Nigerian  Air Force for interrogation.

 He explained that “We were told that an Army personnel and a civilian friend of his went to Ladipo market to confront someone that was alleged to be owing the  Army personnel. While at the market , an argument started and they started exchanging blows.

“The soldier was subdued, the civilian ran out to look for assistance. He saw some Air Force personnel on patrol. He beckoned on  them that a soldier was under attack

“When they got to the scene to contain the fight, the traders started hauling stones at   them.

“Along the line,  one of the traders attempted to snatch a rifle from one of the  Air Force personnel.

“He succeeded,  snatched the rifle and attempted to shoot our personnel. The Army soldier  was able to collect the rifle and opened fire on the traders.

“The Nigerian Air  Force personnel that were in that market did not really kill anybody. The Army soldier who collected the rifle that was snatched   from OP MESSA, opened fire in self defense.

“Our Base Commander was able to calm the situation. He visited the scene. Those involved have been arrested and are under investigation. We heard only one person was shot . Investigation is however ongoing”.

Army mum

 But the Nigerian Army has remained mum since the incident happened. When Vanguard contacted Army authorities in Lagos, they simply stated that their personnel was not involved in the shooting spree but the Air Force’s.

The Police, on their part, said they were still investigating the matter. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Hakeem Odumosu, Wednesday, told journalists at the command headquarters, Ikeja, that no life was lost in the fracas.

His response was frowned at, as most traders said some policemen who rushed to the scene when the Military personnel were shooting, saw the corpse of one of the traders in the pool of his blood.

As at Thursday night, no official move had been made to address the issue, whether from the state government or concerned authorities.

No Military team had visited the market to investigate the matter, or visited any family member of the slain trader or those in the hospital.

Vanguard, however, gathered that the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Air Force met with leaders of the market on the day of the incident, with a rescheduled meeting for an undisclosed day.

There are fears that the situation could lead to a graver one if measures are not taken to calm frail nerves and address what traders at Ladipo market described as molestation by Military personnel, as they have threatened to stop selling auto parts to Military personnel.

Vanguard News Nigeria