Kwara Govt Shutdown Popular Mandate Market Over Attacks

The popular Mandate market in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has been shut down due to an incidence of suspected misunderstandings of an attack in the market.

Naija News reports that the Kwara State Government ordered the closedown of the market following a suspected incidence of burglars’ on Thursday.

It was learned that the Kwara State Commissioner for Business, Innovation, and Technology, Mallam Ibrahim Akaje made the disclosure in a statement on Saturday.

The conflict was said to have broken out between the police and the Hausa group, forcing the police operatives to fire tear gas to return calm.

It was gathered that there were conflicting causes of the said misunderstanding as the state police command spokesman, Okasanmi Ajayi, claimed that it broke out between tomatoes and pepper traders, while the spokesman of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Ayeni Olasunkanmi, reported that trouble broke out when a group of people of Northern origin demanded the release of their kinsmen arrested for alleged burglary of shops in the market complex at night.

The commissioner, however, said the market would be reopened on Monday morning for commercial activities to resume.

He stated that “Even though the government has restored normalcy to the market after the initial tension and opportunist attacks by hoodlums on people’s properties, the government hereby directs temporary closure of the market for security reasons pending resolution of some issues that had triggered the disturbances.

“The government commends the prompt response of the security agencies to the distress calls. We warn against further trouble from any quarters. The market and activities of everyone involved therein are regulated by laws, which must be respected by all.

“The market will be reopened on Monday while efforts have begun to resolve all pending issues.”