A violent clash between Yoruba and Hausa residents in the Ojoo area of Ibadan has resulted in three confirmed deaths—including a young child—and left numerous others with severe gunshot wounds.
The unrest has triggered deep anxiety among the local Yoruba indigene, who fear potential late-night reprisal attacks similar to conflicts seen in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions.
In response, local residents are demanding the immediate evacuation of the Hausa community from the settlement.
The conflict began the previous evening after a Yoruba tricycle (Keke) rider withdrew cash from an Hausa POS operator. Although the cash was handed over and subsequently paid out by the rider, the digital transaction ultimately registered as a failure.
To prove his integrity while waiting for a network resolution, the rider offered to leave his mobile phone and Keke keys as collateral.
The POS operator rejected the compromise, raised an alarm, and accused the rider of fraud. This incited a nearby mob, resulting in the rider being stabbed multiple times. He succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the hospital by local Yorubas.
The tension peaked the following morning when a small group of Yoruba youths approached the scene to seek clarification and resolve the matter peacefully.
The youths were met with hostility and driven back.
As a larger crowd of Yorubas gathered, an individual known locally as “General”—reputed to be a military officer—appeared under the guise of a mediator. Instead, he took up a defensive position with an AK-47 rifle and opened fire into the crowd.
A stray bullet from his rifle killed a young child who was out on an errand.
Following the shooting, “General” allegedly ordered an assault on the remaining Yoruba youths, triggering a fierce, retaliatory clash that resulted in the death of one Hausa individual
