By Stanley Onyekwere
Three persons were purportedly killed by some local scavengers otherwise referred to as baban bola, Tuesday night, following a clash with residents of the Byazhin community, in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It was gathered that the reported dead victims were two women and a young boy.
According to an eyewitness, who gave her name as Jessica Adam, troubled started when a baban bola allegedly attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup, but was caught, overpowered and beaten up after the woman alerted neighbours and passers-by in the area.
She said the aggrieved baban bola scarpered for safety, and mobilised hoodlums, who invaded the community at about 8:00 pm wielding weapons including machetes, clubs, and stones and began attacking residents at random, eventually killing the woman whose pot of soup was earlier stolen.
Also, yet to be identified woman and a young boy, reported to be passers-by who unfortunately lost their lives when they were caught in the middle of the clash.
“They killed two people yesterday. The Community has been in chaos since yesterday. The crisis continued till this morning when they killed somebody again. So far, three persons have been killed and many injured.
“The Police intervened and restored normalcy, but no arrest was made. The Police have intensified their patrol in the Byazhin area of Kubwa to prevent them from regrouping”, the eyewitness stated.
For a resident in the community, who pleaded anonymity, also confirmed the death of the three persons, but said he was not aware of what may have started the clash.
He said: “Yes, the riot started yesterday. And by this morning, we learnt that three persons have been killed. It happened in Byazhin around that Millionaire’s Quarters, behind the Living Faith Church.
“That place is usually dangerous, because it is quite lonely, and you cannot pass through there alone, especially in the evening.”
Meanwhile, when contacted yestetday, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Police Command. CP Bennett Igweh, who spoke via a telephone call, described the incident as a “disturbance”, insisting no life was lost.
Igweh added a victim who was macheted was receiving treatment at the hospital, even as normalcy has been restored in the area.
His words: “They started their disturbance, but we have calmed everywhere down.
“The person who was macheted is in the hospital, only one person. No person has died.”
