At least three people, including two women and a young boy, lost their lives in a riot that erupted in Byazhin, Kubwa, in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday. The violence, which began on Tuesday night, was sparked by a clash between local scavengers, known as Baban bola, and residents of the community.
The trouble started when a scavenger attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup on Tuesday evening. After the woman raised an alarm, neighbors and passers-by overpowered and beat the would-be thief.
According to an eyewitness named Monica, the scavenger, after being released, returned with a group of hoodlums armed with machetes and other weapons. They randomly attacked residents, resulting in the death of the woman and two others, believed to be passers-by.
Monica recounted the chaos, saying, “Nobody slept in their house that night. The Baban bola people came with all kinds of weapons. They destroyed buildings just because one of them was beaten after attempting to steal a pot of soup. They killed two people that night and when they attacked the area on Wednesday morning, they killed another person, making it three people that died. Many people were injured and have been rushed to the general hospital here in Kubwa.”
Following the violence, schools in the area were closed on Wednesday morning, with parents rushing to pick up their children for safety.
