We lost 14 members, N33m in two attacks – Bodija traders

IBADAN– TRADERS in Bodija market, yesterday, counted their losses in attacks by unknown gunmen which left 10 of their colleagues dead.  While speaking on the sad incident at Bodija Market, Public Relations Officer of the market, Mr.  Emiola Akeem, said they had lost a total of 14 members and more than N33 million in the two attacks.

He said: “On May 5, this year, four of our members were murdered in cold blood and N11 million was stolen from them. This time again, after killing them, they stole N22 million we contributed to buy beans and fish.”

Meantime, even as business activities resumed generally at the popular market, the section for beans sellers was deserted with all the shops locked up. The traders who managed to come only gathered in clusters discussing the sad incident.

One of the traders, Mrs. Bola Lawal, said the action was just to sympathise with their dead colleagues.

She said: “We closed our shops just to mourn our dead colleagues. Look at their shops there. They were very nice and hard-working young men. See what these evil people have done now?”

Emiola said he had prevailed on some angry youths who wanted to attack our Hausa colleagues, adding: “We cannot protest in Oyo State. The state government did not do any evil to us. It would be unfair if we now go to the secretariat to protest. It is not the state government that failed, it is the Federal Government.”

According to him, his members would never go to the North again to buy goods.

He said the relatives of the slain traders in the first attack were even fighting them asking why they allowed their people to travel to North when they knew the place was not safe.BY OLA AJAYI:

Vanguard gathered that of the 10 men killed in te latest attack, only nine corpses were brought as the 10th body was said to have been dismembered through several machete cuts.

The image maker said a special prayer would be held in honour of the deceased soon.