The Kwara police command says four bodies were recovered from the scene of the fracas that broke out between members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and cattle dealers at Kara market, Ajase-Ipo axis of the state.
According to the police, the incident happened on Friday evening.
Okasanmi Ajayi, Kwara police spokesperson, in a statement, said the incident happened when a convoy of about 20 vehicles conveying OPC members was passing through the Kara market — a market where people sell cattle.
While the OPC members were passing, a cow being led by its handler was said to have broken the side mirror of one of the vehicles in the convoy.
According to the police spokesperson, the development led to an argument between OPC members and the cattle dealers, which resulted in exchange of gunfire.
“Information received by Ajase-Ipo divisional police headquarters was to the effect that some OPC members in a convoy of about twenty vehicles believed to have been coming from Osogbo, Osun state, were passing through the Kara market where a cow being led across the road by its handler broke the side mirror of one of the OPC vehicles,” the statement reads.
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“[This] resulted in an argument that eventually escalated into an exchange of gunfire by both the OPC members and the cow dealers in the market. Four lifeless bodies of unidentified persons were recovered at the scene.
“The immediate deployment of detachment of policemen and teams of conventional policemen to the scene by the commissioner of police, Kwara State Police Command, CP Tuesday Assayomo psc (+), prevented the escalation and killings of more people.
“Meanwhile, the four unidentified dead bodies have been evacuated from the scene and deposited at the UITH mortuary, the injured taken to the hospital in Ajase-Ipo for medical treatment, while policemen have been stationed at the scene to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
“The Ajase-Ipo Offa road is now clear for movement of goods and services. Therefore, anybody who still goes there to cause lawlessness would be arrested and charged to court.”