By Dare Akogun
Shop owners, motorists and shop owners scampered for safety around challenge, Post office and Unity area of Ilorin this evening when men of the Nigerian Air force went on rampage, shooting sporadically into the air.
It was gathered that officers from the 303 medium Airlift group Ilorin allegedly went on rampage, beating, harassing and destroying goods of phone sellers at the popular challenge phone market in what appeared to be a retaliation for the alleged beating up of their colleague by some unidentified people.
According to an eyewitness he said the attack and destruction of goods by men of the Nigerian Air force today was over a disagreement that happened between and an air officer and phone seller at Challenge last Saturday.
It was gathered that trouble allegedly started when a customer in company of some air force officers who sold a phone two weeks ago came back to the buyer that he is not selling the phone again, but the buyer said in such situations the customer will add money before they could get the phone back.
This allegedly infuriated the air force officer who stabbed the phone dealer, but the officer was attacked by people around and later apprehended with the help of the police.
However the officers came back to the market around round 3:30pm today attacking anyone and destroying anything on site.
Speaking to our correspondent the Chairman Challenge market under the aegis of Challenge Association of Traders, Telecommunications and Allied Dealers Muritadoh Yusuf Mulat, said the officers came into the market this evening, attacking traders, destroying their goods and also carting away some phones while shooting sporadically in the air.
Narrating what led to the attack according to him “One of our customer came here two weeks ago to sell is phone and one of our guys here bought it and he was paid, ten days later the guy that sold the phone came with some set of airforce to our market (challenge) which is on Saturday to come and claim the phone that they are no more selling it.
“The buyer of the phone said he can’t release the phone unless they pay additional money which is normal, another person explain to those airforce that since the phone wasn’t brought for borrowing money it can’t be sold for the amount bought.
“One of the airforce came from behind and start beating our people to the extent that 2 of our members was stab but we thanks God they are responding to treatment, with the help of police of the air force was arrested on that Saturday afternoon.
“Today about five set of airforce came to our market again they started breaking people show glass carting away some phone and gadget shooting sporadically into the air and people scampering for safety.
“We are set of young people who carried out our daily activities legitimately and we are law abiding citizen,” he said.
He however called on the governor of Kwara state mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, and the Chief of Air staff Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao to come to it’s aid over what he described as continuos harrasment, attacks and destruction of properties by men of the Nigerian Air force in Ilorin.
