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
sympathize 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-workingyoung 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.
Vanguard gathered that of the 10 men killed in the 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 honor of the
deceased soon.