Mosques Reportedly Burnt, Tricycle Rider Stabbed As Hausas Clashes With Irate Youths In Enugu

An argument between a tricycle rider and a passenger reportedly resulted in bloodshed and setting ablaze of properties including mosques in Enugu State during the last weekend.

According to reports, the chaos began on Saturday, 31st, October 2020 in the Nsukka Local Government Area of the state after a Hausa woman failed to pay fully her transport fare to a tricycle rider who carried her from a long distance.

Naija News learn that the woman whose name is revealed as Aisha after some heated arguments contacted her fellows who stormed the scene and descended the tricycle rider, beating him to a pulp. It was confirmed further that the tricycle operator was stabbed by Aisha’s siblings.

Reports had it that the tricycle operator had carried Aisha with her perishable goods to the Army barracks on an agreed payment of N750. However, upon reaching her destination, Aisha, reportedly refused to pay the agreed price and offered to pay only N500.

The development, however, resulted in word battle between the two parties and subsequently attracted a crowd.

While people around were trying to calm the situation, Aisha reached to her siblings on phone and the argument turns into a serious fight between the Irate youths and the Hausa community. The Irate youths who were angered by the attack on the fellow by the Hausa community reportedly stormed the scene in good numbers destroyed two mosques and other valuables.

Naija News learnt that the Irate youths during the reprisal, picked up two of the Hausa community youngmen, Hassan Yakubu and Nurudeen Mohammed, and also gave them a beating of their life.

Speaking with newsmen on the incident, Hassan, narrated that his sister Aisha called him on the phone, but that before his arrival at the scene of the argument, one of his brothers, Nurudeen, had stabbed the tricycle operator.

“My sister Aisha contacted me on the phone that she had a problem with a tricycle rider and that I should come. However, before I arrived there, my brother, Nurudeen was already there,” Hassan confessed.

He added, “In short, he and my other brothers had fought with the rider. Unfortunately, he (Nurudeen) stabbed him. So, when he fled, the youths picked on me.”

However, claims that the stabbed tricycle rider died in the process was debunked by the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka. The Church appealed called for peace noting that the man was still alive and responding to medical treatment at its hospital.

The church, in a statement titled, ‘Nsukka is peaceful, don’t be incited to violence’, was signed by Diocesan Secretary/Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Cajetan Iyidobi. Fr. Iyidobi said that the Bishop, Most Rev, Godfrey Onah, had appealed to all sides involved in the skirmish to remain calm but vigilant.

Efforts receive comment from the state police command on the development were unsuccessful as the Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdurrahman could not respond to his calls.

However, reports revealed that the military from the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, arrived at the scene some moments later restore calmness.

Meanwhile, in a recent report, a man was arrested by the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly arresting a communal deity in his community, Naija News reports.