Rival gangs clash over snatching of lover

Pandemonium broke out at Agaka and Adabata communities of Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday as two groups engaged in a free-for-all.

The fracas paralysed the economic activities in the area for many hours and forced many traders to close their shops and flee.

According to an eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, the two groups fought over alleged snatching of a girlfriend from a member of one of the the group.

He stated that members of the two groups were at a ceremony when a member of one of the groups accused another man from a rival group of snatching his girlfriend.

Following the allegation, an argument ensued which degenerated into the fracas.

Both parties were said to have freely used axes, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons on rival members.

The source added that the hoodlums also pelted a police vehicle with stones.

He said, “The vehicle was conveying police officers from the Kwara State Police Command, which had gone there to restore normalcy.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that four persons had been arrested over their alleged role in the lynching of a suspected female kidnapper at Adeta Roundabout.

The suspected female kidnapper was said to have been caught with three children on Tuesday evening. One of the children was said to have died before the mob lynched her.

Another incident also occurred at  at Ganmo area of Ilorin on

Tuesday evening. A middle aged woman narrowly missed being lynched by a mob.

The timely intervention of  police officials rescued her from the mob that was about lynching her.

The woman was alleged to have attempted to kidnap a three-year baby from the Amoyo Community.

A source said the female suspect was caught with the baby while she was attempting to board a bus.

It was also learnt that a resident, who had become suspicious of the woman’s movement, was said to have raised the alarm which attracted the mob.

The mob was said to have stripped the woman naked, and allegedly found a BlackBerry phone and some charms on her.

Also, residents of Sabo-Oke in Ilorin were on Tuesday evening,

enveloped in palpable fears over  claims that a teenager, identified simply as Tunde, had been kidnapped.

The teenager was said to have been playing at a snooker centre when he was allegedly kidnapped.

A source told journalists in Ilorin that the suspected  kidnapper had sent the victim on an errand and later followed him.

According to the source, the suspect later telephoned people that were playing snooker that the boy had been taken away.

The information, our correspondent learnt, devastated the victim’s middle-aged petty trader mother, whose name could not be ascertained as of the time of filling the report.

The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed that a suspected kidnapper was lynched by a mob at Adeta Roundabout.

He also confirmed the rescue of the suspected female kidnapper at the Ganmo area.

In another development, no fewer than  18  suspected political thugs have been arrested in Kwara state over their alleged involvements in political crisis in some area during the ward and local government congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.

The state police commissioner, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, said the suspects would be arraigned in court soon.

He advised politicians in the state to call their supporters to

order and avoid unlawful conducts.
PUNCH