From: Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
There has been growing concern about criminal and other illegal business activities being transacted at the Elekara area, along Oyo/Ibadan expressway.
The area, which has one of the largest markets in Oyo State,
also harbours all categories of artisans. Besides, the area
serves as a terminal station for drivers of heavy truck vehicles, who move from Lagos to the northern parts of the country.
This makes the area vulnerable to prostitutes and call girls who make brisk business.
Most consignments scheduled from Lagos to other parts of the country, it was gathered, were usually disposed of at Elekara area, without getting to the scheduled destinations.
Open shops, and make shifts are also veritable abode for
miscreants and men of the underworld.
Consequently, residents of neighbouring communities such as
Jobele, Fiditi and Idi-igba, live in trepidation, as these miscreants often unleash terror on them, as well as motorists
plying the expressway.
More worrisome are the influx of prostitutes in the area who are mostly from the northern parts of the country.
Recently, no fewer than six persons were said to have sustained serious injuries in a free for all among traders at Elekara market, in the Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The incident, Freedom Online learnt, occurred around 5am last Wednesday when a trader was said to be urinating at a makeshift residence belonging to some commercial sex workers.
One of the sex workers was said to have angrily come out, challenging the trader’s misbehaviour and reigned abuses on
him.
Enraged by the reign of abuses, the trader, a Yoruba man, was said to have warned the sex worker, an Hausa lady, or be dealt with.
The sex worker was said to remain unyielding.
Apparently sensing that the Yoruba trader was attempting to beat her up, the sex worker was said to have moved closer, held the trader’s private part and strangled it.
When the pain was becoming unbearable, he shouted for help from other neighbours.
When other traders of both Yoruba and Hausa extraction rushed to the scene of the incident, rather than resolving the matter amicably, they started abusing themselves.
The situation degenerated into violence as dangerous weapons likebroken bottles, cutlasses and big sticks were freely used by the traders.
Consequently, the ever-busy market was deserted by traders and customers who scampered for safety of their lives.
Though no life was reportedly lost in the fracas, but the number of those injured was put at six.
The intervention of men of Operation Burst and Oyo/Ogbomosho annex of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) put the situation under control.
