Tension arose on Thursday in the Olomore axis of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force allegedly shot two traders.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the violence which caused panic in the area and led to gridlock for some hours.
The SARS operatives were reported to have stormed Olomore Pepper Market while chasing an internet fraudster also known as Yahoo boy, who ran into the market.

Findings showed that stray bullets from the SARS officers’ gunshots hit two pepper sellers in the market during the chase.

An eye witness identified simply as Adamu told The PUNCH that one of the victims was shot in the head and the other was shot in the leg.

Adamu said the victims had been rushed to a nearby hospital.

According to an eye witness, eight SARs officers, suspected to be from the Lafenwa Divisional Police Headquarters stormed the popular market in an unmarked Siena Toyota vehicle when the pepper and tomatoes traders were offloading their goods.

He said the officers accosted the two victims, Musa Adamu Abati and Awwal dragged them on the ground and shot them before leaving the scene.

While Abati was shot in the head and left critically injured, Awwal was shot twice in the leg.

Angered by the police’s action, hundreds of people, comprising Hausa and Yoruba traders took to the Brewery-Olomore-Ita Oshin axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, blocking the road with planks and made burn-fire.

The angry protesters chased SARS officers who first responded to the situation, with sticks and other objects forcing the officers to run for their dear lives.

Motorists and passers-by who were caught in the violent protest also scampered for safety.
Addressing newsmen on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident.

Oyeyemi said four suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence.

He, however, said the policemen who stirred the violence were from the Anti-Cultist team of Lafenwa Divisional Police station.

The PPRO said “what actually happened today was that our men at Lafenwa division received information early in the morning by members of the public that there is some fracas in the Olomore area.

“As a result of that, the DPO Lafenwa division mobilized some of his teams and they went straight to the place. One of the teams that followed him to the place is the anti-cultist team. On getting there, they were able to calm the situation down and they arrested four suspects among those who were causing troubles in that place.

“As the police were about to move with the suspects, some hoodlums swept on them that they are not going to take those people away. In a bid to scare those people away, one of the anti-cultist men fired into the air and unfortunately, a straight bullet hit two men.

” The men have been rushed to the hospital and they are responding to treatment.

“The commissioner of police has ordered a full-scale investigation into the case. The person who fired the shot has been ordered to be arrested and he is currently undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department.”

While disagreeing with the report that some policemen shot the traders while chasing an internet fraudster

He said “I want to correct an impression because I have seen it online that it is as a result of police chasing some so-called yahoo boys and that was why they fired into the market.

“That is not true and that is not the position of the case. They are not running after any yahoo boys.
Whatever the outcome of the investigation is, we are going to brief the members of the public.

“The situation of things over there is under control and the people have been pacified. The commissioner of police is at the scene now and everything is in order.

“The Special Anti Robbery Squad does not have anything to do with the incident. The team that has something to do with it, is the anti-cultist team. The problem is wherever people see policemen in black uniform, they will tag them as SARS. “

When asked to explain what led to the fracas, Oyeyemi said: “We are year to ascertain what actually caused the initial fracas, but the investigation is going to reveal that.”