The monthly “Environmental Sanitation” exercise in Ondo state turned bloody at Igbotako township in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo state on Saturday as soldiers posted to the council area shot and killed at least two people in the community.
A resident in the area told SaharaReporters that Mr. Niyi Pirisola, the local government council chairman led soldiers form the Barracks in okitipupa to enforce the exercise in the community.
The source gave names of the two deceased persons as; Yomi Akinyemi and Sunday Adejuwon both youths in the area who tried to resist the soldiers from seizing wares of poor women heading to the market to eke out a living.
The duo died as a result of the bullet fired by the rampaging soldiers while trying to scare away residents; the source added on the telephone.
Apart from the two deceased, a little girl was knocked over by a motorcycle and woman died in the melee when the council boss drove and escape a mob that had mobilized to resist the soldiers.
Reports revealed that many people were badly injured as violence erupted in the community.
Saharareporters gathered that the trouble first started when the council boss accosted some residents trekking to the market asking why they refused to observe the environmental sanitation exercise. The women reportedly told the chairman they needed to eke out a living and could not perpetually remain at home and die of hunger.
The council boss then allegedly assaulted some youths for disrespecting him and laws of environmental compliance in the state.
An argument ensued for several hours and the local government chairman zoomed off in anger only to returned back to the community in the company of armed soldiers who began indiscriminate arrest of violators of the exercise.
“Mr. Niyi had to slap some guys including a motorcycle bike rider for transporting residents to the market and the process of running away, the guy on a bike knocked down a small girl which led to pandemonium.
In retaliation, the youths made attempt to attack the LG boss and he immediately fled the scene in his official vehicle with the help of a policeman but while rushing to get out of the area the chairman’s vehicle knocked over another woman, a resident narrated on the phone.
A member of the vigilante group in the area, Omogbemi Oyekan, told a SaharaReporters correspondent in a local language that residents refused to observe the sanitation exercise because the day fell on the community’s market day.
“Today was our Market day and we have to sell our goods and eke out a living. Even people from other parts of the state and neighboring community have traveled down since Friday, slept over night till this morning (Saturday) to buy goods and farm produce from our farmers, in order for them to travel back to their destination on time.
“It was surprising that the local government chairman came with soldiers and some mobile policemen to disrupt activities of the community and shoot at some of our people. Some of us are badly injured while we have rushed several persons to the hospital.
“I just learned that two people have died on their way to the health center. This is saddening especially because of the neglect of this community by the present administration,” he said.
Saharareporters correspondent could not reach the council chairman as his mobile phone was switched off.
When contacted the Spokesman of the Ondo state command of the Nigeria Police Force,Wole Ogodo, said details of the incident was still sketchy but added that Police commissioner, Isaac Eke alongside other senior officers of the command have moved into the community. He promised to get back to our correspondent when details are available.
Update: Youth in the area have razed down a police station in the community.