Shasha Market in Ibadan, Oyo State, was a melting point for traders of foodstuffs in Nigeria’s largest city. But it is now a shadow of itself courtesy – an ethnic clashes.
The Ibadan clashes erupted after a disagreement between a Hausa labourer and a Yoruba trader, and spread quickly, residents said.
The clashes came at a time of increased tensions between northern Fulani herdsmen and southern farmers, one of Nigeria’s most persistent security problems.
President Buhari has warned against using ethnicity for political leverage, but some regional leaders accuse him of not acting decisively because he is himself an ethnic Fulani.
The ruins of Shasha market, in the southwest Nigerian city of Ibadan, were still smouldering three days after deadly ethnic clashes.
Shasha Market is far from what it used to be. In reality, lives have been lost, millions have gone down the drain, and the hopes of many dashed away. Only time will tell when Shasha Market and the people will be healed from the ruins.
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(Guardian)
