There was tension on Thursday in the Olomore area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when some policemen allegedly shot two traders.
PUNCH Metro learnt that four persons had been arrested in connection with the violence, which created panic in the area and led to gridlock for several hours.
The operatives were reported to have stormed the Olomore Pepper Market while attempting to arrest a suspected Internet fraudster (Yahoo boy).
Findings showed that stray bullets from the policemen hit two pepper sellers in the market.
An eyewitness, identified simply as Adamu, told our correspondent that the victims were rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to Adamu, eight policemen stormed the market in an unmarked Toyota Siena vehicle while the pepper and tomatoes traders were offloading their goods.
He claimed that the officers accosted the two victims, Musa Abati and one Awwal, and dragged them on the ground.
While Abati was shot in the head and left critically injured, Awwal was reportedly 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 area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, as they blocked the road with planks and made bonfires.
The angry protesters were said to have chased the policemen, as motorists and passers-by, who were caught in the protest, scampered for safety.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident.
Oyeyemi said four suspects had been arrested.
He, however, said the policemen were from the Anti-Cultist team of the Lafenwa Divisional Police Station.
The PPRO said, “Our men at the Lafenwa division received information early in the morning that there was a fracas at the Olomore area.
“As a result of that, the DPO Lafenwa division mobilised some of his teams and they went straight to the place. One of the teams that went was the anti-cultism team.
“On getting there, they calmed the situation down and arrested four suspects among those causing trouble in the place.
“As the police were about to move with the suspects, some hoodlums swooped on them that they were not going to take those people away.
“In a bid to scare those people away, one of the anti-cultism men fired into the air and unfortunately, a stray 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 arrested and he is undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.”