"We get on all right with the Yoruba here. Our only problem is with the OPC."
- Hausa community leader in Ajegunle, September 2002

There were two waves of clashes in Ajegunle, an area of Lagos. The first occurred in around September-October 1999, when Yoruba clashed with Ijaw, in what was seen as the aftermath of earlier, violent confrontations between Ijaw and Ilaje (a sub-group of the Yoruba) in Ondo State. Human Rights Watch did not carry out an in-depth investigation into these clashes, but spoke to some local residents of Ajegunle, who said that more than forty people were killed, most of them men. The victims included both Ijaw and Yoruba. Some were killed with machetes, others were burnt, others were shot dead. The report of the tribunal of inquiry set up by the state government into civil disturbances in Lagos State (see Section VII, 2 below) stated that the fighting did not appear to involve the entire Yoruba community in the area, but was more specifically "fighting between OPC members and Ijaw boys."

The second clash occurred about one year later, in October 2000, this time between Yoruba and Hausa. It was one of the most serious incidents of violence involving the OPC. More than 250 people were killed and at least as many were injured as Yoruba and Hausa fought each other for several days, from October 15 to 19, 2000; thousands of people were displaced by the violence. While both Yoruba and Hausa took up arms and participated in the killings, the majority of the victims were from the Hausa community. Almost all the victims were men, of different ages. According to the Nigerian Red Cross, which provided assistance to those wounded in the clashes, most of the injuries were caused by gun-shots, machete cuts, and clubbing. A foreign journalist who covered the incident said some of the bodies had been decapitated; many of them had been burnt after being killed. He said he saw at least one hundred OPC members, many of them carrying long sword-like knives.

The incident which triggered the violence was a minor dispute between Hausa and Yoruba which occurred after a man accused of stealing some goods was taken by a group of Yoruba to the Hausa community. The Hausa apparently refused to hand over the alleged thief to them, the Yoruba protested, and a fight broke out. Within a short time, the Yoruba had called in the OPC, and the killing spree began. All those interviewed by Human Rights Watch, with the exception of some OPC members, confirmed that the OPC had been central to the violence and that the killings were ethnically motivated. One man who was present during the violence heard OPC members saying: "We have to punish Hausa people here."
A Hausa man who sold meat in Ajegunle explained what happened after the argument over the allegedly stolen goods:
The Hausa men beat up the Yoruba boys [...] The OPC went to regroup, this time armed with guns, charms and machetes. They attacked and killed a lot of Hausa men. Later they extended the killing to us here. [...] They killed sixteen of my colleagues there. They were macheted, shot and burnt here. Those killed included Ali, Musa, Umoru, Bello, Buba, Sani, Mallam Audu, Adamu and his brother, another Adamu, Hassan, and Musa Mohammed.

There was no doubt that the killing was done by OPC. From my hiding place I could see them together with other Yoruba men and boys. The OPC was leading the group. They had white bandanas tied on their heads. Some were carrying guns, machetes, and charms. [...] At the Hausa Line they killed so many people, but the Hausa people also killed some. The people the OPC killed were all lined up on the road. It was a gory sight. There were too many to be counted. [...]

An Igbo baker who witnessed the violence explained how the OPC specifically sought out and targeted Hausa residents of the area. He described how the OPC led the operation: "The people that carried out the killings were OPC members. But they were joined by other Yoruba youths. The OPC were in front but a large mob made up of area boys were following behind and helping to apprehend the Hausa. The OPC were not in uniform but some of them had red or white ribbon tied on their heads. They were also carrying guns, charms and machetes." He told Human Rights Watch that he saw them kill at least ten people before he had to turn away

That morning, some OPC men, around ten of them, came to the street. They looked around but they didn't see any Hausa man. They left. Later, one man went to call them back and showed them where the Hausa men were hiding. They swooped on them and slaughtered them all. They were caught unawares. We were watching them here from our balcony.

They went from house to house bringing the Hausa men out and killing them. They made a bonfire down there in the street. They were bringing out their properties and throwing them into the bonfire. Any Hausa man caught was killed and thrown into the bonfire. It was a terrible experience. I have never seen anything like that. They were killed by cutting their necks with a long knife or by shooting them in the head.

There was one man who sells suya [grilled meat] down there; his name is Mallam Audu. They shot him but the bullet did not penetrate his body, neither could their machetes. They had to strangle him and then club him to death. His body was also thrown into the fire.

[...] Some kind-hearted individuals were hiding the Hausa men because they are our neighbors. One Hausa man ran into my house. I never knew him before. I hid him for three days. It was on the fourth day that we [residents of Ajegunle] invited the navy to come and evacuate them. It was then that all the Hausa men in hiding started coming out.

When we reasonable people talk about politics on Politics thread, people like the OP go dey cry and wail we are paid to comment.

But look at the kind of divisive thread the OP created, nobody will accuse him of collecting money to open foolish thread.

Parachoko:
When we reasonable people talk about politics on Politics thread, people like the OP go dey cry and wail we are paid to comment.

But look at the kind of divisive thread the OP created, nobody will accuse him of collecting money to open foolish thread.

This happened na bayi

A Hausa community leader narrowly escaped death after he and a large group of other Hausa were rounded up by the OPC:



On 15 October 2000, at about 7.15 p.m., I met roadblocks manned by people with cutlasses, axes, bottles, pistols, and double-barrel guns. I was in my car. They asked me to stop. There were about thirteen or fifteen of them. They said: "We are OPC." They had a red scarf on their head but no other uniform at that time. They brought me out, took my key, took my car and parked it. They took me to the waterside. There I found many of my own people, more than forty held there, all men. The OPC put firewood. One said: "These are the people we caught. We want to lecture them, then burn them." Another OPC leader said: "Don't kill them here, take them away." They took us to another house. They surrounded us there. They were armed with guns, cutlasses and axes. Another OPC leader came in and checked inside. He said that there were not enough of us, only about forty, and he wanted there to be more than one hundred. He gave orders to his members to find others.

There were about seven OPC commanders giving orders. The younger boys, about ten of them, had guns and cutlasses. The older ones stood by and gave commands in the Yoruba language, which I could understand. For example, when they had stopped me in my car, they said: "Take the key from him. Park the car. Take him to slaughter."

Then I don't know what happened. We heard gunfire and shooting outside. I told my people: "I'm going outside. I will pray and try to escape." I came out with my arms up in surrender. Others followed me in the same way. We passed safely by the place where the OPC were shooting because they were not watching us.

I saw many people killed and burnt vehicles. I saw around seventeen bodies just lying everywhere. I don't know who they were. They were all men, no women.

I reached my house and asked my people what had happened before. They said three OPC had carried a Calabar man who had stolen an iron. They left him with his people there and went back. Then they returned with three buses full of OPC with guns, cutlasses, bottles and sticks. [...] The OPC came looking for the Calabar man. They shot one Hausa man who said he didn't know where he was. Another Hausa man who talked was also shot. We saw that if someone talks, they will get shot. We reported the problem to our leader. The leader went to see what was going on. Meanwhile they had killed another four people. The leader brought the six bodies back.

The OPC went to the main road and stopped people from coming back. They had three buses on the main road. They shot a Hausa boy and left him in the gutter.

On the Sunday, on the roads around here, the OPC was stopping buses and saying: "Where are the Hausa inside? Bring them out, kill them and burn them!" This was happening on the roads from Alaba Suru to Ijora Badia and from Mile 2 to Orile Bus stop, and at Ijora under the bridge where the Hausas do business.

[...] On Thursday, they put dead bodies on a tipper lorry and drove off. All the bodies were together, maybe about one hundred of them. The lorry came only once but it was full.

Some people were killed inside their houses. Some were slaughtered. They put three people in my car and two underneath and burned them. An Igbo man was taken away in front of me. I don't know what happened to him but they burned his car. Just here, more than thirty northerners were killed. Even more people were killed on the roads.

The sophisticated hosts.

Elsudani2:
"We get on all right with the Yoruba here. Our only problem is with the OPC."
- Hausa community leader in Ajegunle, September 2002

There were two waves of clashes in Ajegunle, an area of Lagos. The first occurred in around September-October 1999, when Yoruba clashed with Ijaw, in what was seen as the aftermath of earlier, violent confrontations between Ijaw and Ilaje (a sub-group of the Yoruba) in Ondo State. Human Rights Watch did not carry out an in-depth investigation into these clashes, but spoke to some local residents of Ajegunle, who said that more than forty people were killed, most of them men. The victims included both Ijaw and Yoruba. Some were killed with machetes, others were burnt, others were shot dead. The report of the tribunal of inquiry set up by the state government into civil disturbances in Lagos State (see Section VII, 2 below) stated that the fighting did not appear to involve the entire Yoruba community in the area, but was more specifically "fighting between OPC members and Ijaw boys."

The second clash occurred about one year later, in October 2000, this time between Yoruba and Hausa. It was one of the most serious incidents of violence involving the OPC. More than 250 people were killed and at least as many were injured as Yoruba and Hausa fought each other for several days, from October 15 to 19, 2000; thousands of people were displaced by the violence. While both Yoruba and Hausa took up arms and participated in the killings, the majority of the victims were from the Hausa community. Almost all the victims were men, of different ages. According to the Nigerian Red Cross, which provided assistance to those wounded in the clashes, most of the injuries were caused by gun-shots, machete cuts, and clubbing. A foreign journalist who covered the incident said some of the bodies had been decapitated; many of them had been burnt after being killed. He said he saw at least one hundred OPC members, many of them carrying long sword-like knives.

The incident which triggered the violence was a minor dispute between Hausa and Yoruba which occurred after a man accused of stealing some goods was taken by a group of Yoruba to the Hausa community. The Hausa apparently refused to hand over the alleged thief to them, the Yoruba protested, and a fight broke out. Within a short time, the Yoruba had called in the OPC, and the killing spree began. All those interviewed by Human Rights Watch, with the exception of some OPC members, confirmed that the OPC had been central to the violence and that the killings were ethnically motivated. One man who was present during the violence heard OPC members saying: "We have to punish Hausa people here."
A Hausa man who sold meat in Ajegunle explained what happened after the argument over the allegedly stolen goods:
The Hausa men beat up the Yoruba boys [...] The OPC went to regroup, this time armed with guns, charms and machetes. They attacked and killed a lot of Hausa men. Later they extended the killing to us here. [...] They killed sixteen of my colleagues there. They were macheted, shot and burnt here. Those killed included Ali, Musa, Umoru, Bello, Buba, Sani, Mallam Audu, Adamu and his brother, another Adamu, Hassan, and Musa Mohammed.

There was no doubt that the killing was done by OPC. From my hiding place I could see them together with other Yoruba men and boys. The OPC was leading the group. They had white bandanas tied on their heads. Some were carrying guns, machetes, and charms. [...] At the Hausa Line they killed so many people, but the Hausa people also killed some. The people the OPC killed were all lined up on the road. It was a gory sight. There were too many to be counted. [...]

An Igbo baker who witnessed the violence explained how the OPC specifically sought out and targeted Hausa residents of the area. He described how the OPC led the operation: "The people that carried out the killings were OPC members. But they were joined by other Yoruba youths. The OPC were in front but a large mob made up of area boys were following behind and helping to apprehend the Hausa. The OPC were not in uniform but some of them had red or white ribbon tied on their heads. They were also carrying guns, charms and machetes." He told Human Rights Watch that he saw them kill at least ten people before he had to turn away

That morning, some OPC men, around ten of them, came to the street. They looked around but they didn't see any Hausa man. They left. Later, one man went to call them back and showed them where the Hausa men were hiding. They swooped on them and slaughtered them all. They were caught unawares. We were watching them here from our balcony.

They went from house to house bringing the Hausa men out and killing them. They made a bonfire down there in the street. They were bringing out their properties and throwing them into the bonfire. Any Hausa man caught was killed and thrown into the bonfire. It was a terrible experience. I have never seen anything like that. They were killed by cutting their necks with a long knife or by shooting them in the head.

There was one man who sells suya [grilled meat] down there; his name is Mallam Audu. They shot him but the bullet did not penetrate his body, neither could their machetes. They had to strangle him and then club him to death. His body was also thrown into the fire.

[...] Some kind-hearted individuals were hiding the Hausa men because they are our neighbors. One Hausa man ran into my house. I never knew him before. I hid him for three days. It was on the fourth day that we [residents of Ajegunle] invited the navy to come and evacuate them. It was then that all the Hausa men in hiding started coming out.

What is your motive behind this

Seetto:

What is your motive behind this

Which motive again it happened na .

What is the motive of visiting coups in Nigeria?

Victims and witnesses of the violence confirmed that the OPC members involved in the violence seemed well organized and that some of them, believed to be their leaders, were giving instructions to others-as illustrated by the testimony above. Another witness said he was sure those who were carrying out the killings were OPC members and described how they operated: "They said `O'odua!' as a signal to others and `Shoot! Shoot!' I knew of two commanders. I saw them openly in communication with each other." Another man said: "One big OPC was giving orders: `Pack everything away! Put fire!'" Another man, who was shot in the head as the OPC opened fire at random, said: "I saw about thirty OPC with guns, stick, pieces of iron, broken bottles. They wore red on their head with their symbol. They were just shouting `Kill them!' and other things which I didn't understand. There were many senior ones among them."

The police failed completely to stop the violence in Ajegunle. All those interviewed by Human Rights Watch confirmed that the police did not intervene at any stage of the killings. The military only intervened on the third or fourth day, after they were called by local residents and community leaders, who had to pay the soldiers themselves to be evacuated to the barracks for safety. A Hausa community leader described how they desperately begged the police for help on several successive days, in vain:

We called the DPO [Divisional Police Officer]. He said he had not received orders to help us. We tried the other DPO in Trinity; he said he had no orders either. We tried the Area B Commander, who had no orders either. We called the Lagos State Commissioner who said he had no orders either.

From the barracks we had to pay ourselves for the police and the mobile police to come. We hired them. We took trucks and trailers and loaded our people on and took them to the barracks for safety. [...] On Wednesday morning, the police were given the order to come here, but they feared the OPC. The OPC were still here.

Thousands of people, the majority of them Hausa, who had been evacuated to the barracks, remained there for one or two weeks until they were sure the violence had ended. While they were there, the OPC looted or burnt their property which was lying in their empty houses.

Many residents of Ajegunle testified to the commission of inquiry set up by the Lagos state government to investigate the violence. They provided detailed information on the number of victims and extent of the damage. For example, a list compiled by the committee chairman of the local Hausa community includes the names of more than one hundred people who were shot dead between October 15 and 19 in the areas known as Hausa Line (Taiwo Street) and Achakpo scrap market, and many others whose property was destroyed. Residents told Human Rights Watch that the government had promised compensation to those affected by the violence. Two years later, none of those interviewed by Human Rights Watch were aware of any compensation having been paid.

olisaEze:
The sophisticated hosts.

Accommodating landlords

Elsudani2:


Accommodating landlords

Kikikiki

I know for sure there's more to this that meets the eyes.
It's a good thing that some yorubas were kind and sensible enough to hide those they could.
It's most likely a criminal attack and not a tribal attack.

jumper524:
I know for sure there's more to this that meets the eyes.
It's a good thing that some yorubas were kind and sensible enough to hide those they could.
It's most likely a criminal attack and not a tribal attack.

It was carried out by OPC and we're chanted to by the people as oduduwa warriors

oya Yoruba and Hausa should start fighting, that's what the op want to achieved



I hate to practise tribalism but Godforbid you igbo become president in this country soon, you people are dangerous people

Elsudani2:


It was carried out by OPC and we're chanted to by the people as oduduwa warriors

the OPC doesn't represent the Yorubas.
So the problems must be with the OPC who took laws on their hands.

olisaEze:


Kikikiki

This gus no know say history is history.

See them bringing out first coup , calling tribes name and all sorts of degrading things.

When you bring your own history they begin to ask what is behind the motive

jumper524:
the OPC doesn't represent the Yorubas.
So the problems must be with the OPC who took laws on their hands.

And who do they represent?

Timothy89:
oya Yoruba and Hausa should start fighting, that's what the op want to achieved



I hate to practise tribalism but Godforbid you igbo become president in this country soon, you people are dangerous people

Inside this particular comment of yours , what made me post this piece of history will make me post another one .

Until you learn to behave like a human not an animal then I will stop.

But for now fuel that anger I will bring more

IPOB MISCREANTS KILLED HAUSA PREGNANT WOMAN AND HER SIX CHILDREN IN ANAMBRA
Members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Sunday killed 10 Northerners, including a pregnant woman, her four children and six others at Isulo, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The slain woman was identified as Harira Jibril, 32, while the four children were identified as Fatima, 9; Khadijah, 7; Hadiza, 5 and; Zaituna, 2.
Narrating how the woman was killed alongside her children, her husband Jibril Ahmed told BBC Hausa that the insurgents waylaid them on their way back home after a visit to Orumba North.

pandoragirigory:
[b]IPOB MISCREANTS KILLED HAUSA PREGNANT WOMAN AND HER SIX CHILDREN IN ANAMBRA (/b]

Ok so OPC did a great job then ?

Una go explain tire .

Thank God for internet

Op.
No matter how hard you and your brothers try to incite tribal chaos.

Bear in mind that it is the igbos thar would bear the brunt most all over the country, and it would be bad, very sad as other tribes would rationally be allies against you guys.
You igbos are viewed as "osu" by most other tribes because of your cunning, brash and condescending attitude towards other tribes in Nigeria, na una dey fight hausa , na una dey fight yoruba.

So go on fan it, let it blow hot. You and yours would be consumed like it happened in 67.

Timothy89:
oya Yoruba and Hausa should start fighting, that's what the op want to achieved



I hate to practise tribalism but Godforbid you igbo become president in this country soon, you people are dangerous people

Typical yoruba man, u won't comment on d topic rather u hv started mastuebating about igbos. How sure are u that d op is an Igbo man? What if he's an hausa man? Then, d story did it happen or not?

Same evil propaganda by the usual suspects

It is well with Nigeria they have had their usual destructive meeting at the weekend.

Elsudani2:
[b]"We get on all right with the Yoruba here. Our only problem is with the OPC.out.

Elsudani2:


This gus no know say history is history.

See them bringing out first coup , calling tribes name and all sorts of degrading things.

When you bring your own history they begin to ask what is behind the motive

That's just Yoruba for u. They can't swallow what they dish at people. They can insult u from. Morning till night but just speak ur language and see dem ranting that u are causing them

Elsudani2:
Una go explain tire .

Thank God for internet

They thought that dis is stone age, where u use Lagos-Ibadan expressway to tarnish and write people off

wakaman:
Op.
No matter how hard you and your brothers try to incite tribal chaos.

Bear in mind that it is the igbos thar would bear the brunt most all over the country, and it would be bad, very sad as other tribes would rationally be allies against you guys.
You igbos are viewed as "osu" by most other tribes because of your cunning, brash and condescending attitude towards other tribes in Nigeria, na una dey fight hausa , na una dey fight yoruba.

So go on fan it, let it blow hot. You and yours would be consumed like it happened in 67.

Una kill hausa or not? Yorubas dare not confront hausa.

Timothy89:
oya Yoruba and Hausa should start fighting, that's what the op want to achieved



I hate to practise tribalism but Godforbid you igbo become president in this country soon, you people are dangerous people

No wonder you need driving job

Elsudani2:


This happened na bayi

A Hausa community leader narrowly escaped death after he and a large group of other Hausa were rounded up by the OPC:



On 15 October 2000, at about 7.15 p.m., I met roadblocks manned by people with cutlasses, axes, bottles, pistols, and double-barrel guns. I was in my car. They asked me to stop. There were about thirteen or fifteen of them. They said: "We are OPC." They had a red scarf on their head but no other uniform at that time. They brought me out, took my key, took my car and parked it. They took me to the waterside. There I found many of my own people, more than forty held there, all men. The OPC put firewood. One said: "These are the people we caught. We want to lecture them, then burn them." Another OPC leader said: "Don't kill them here, take them away." They took us to another house. They surrounded us there. They were armed with guns, cutlasses and axes. Another OPC leader came in and checked inside. He said that there were not enough of us, only about forty, and he wanted there to be more than one hundred. He gave orders to his members to find others.

There were about seven OPC commanders giving orders. The younger boys, about ten of them, had guns and cutlasses. The older ones stood by and gave commands in the Yoruba language, which I could understand. For example, when they had stopped me in my car, they said: "Take the key from him. Park the car. Take him to slaughter."

Then I don't know what happened. We heard gunfire and shooting outside. I told my people: "I'm going outside. I will pray and try to escape." I came out with my arms up in surrender. Others followed me in the same way. We passed safely by the place where the OPC were shooting because they were not watching us.

I saw many people killed and burnt vehicles. I saw around seventeen bodies just lying everywhere. I don't know who they were. They were all men, no women.

I reached my house and asked my people what had happened before. They said three OPC had carried a Calabar man who had stolen an iron. They left him with his people there and went back. Then they returned with three buses full of OPC with guns, cutlasses, bottles and sticks. [...] The OPC came looking for the Calabar man. They shot one Hausa man who said he didn't know where he was. Another Hausa man who talked was also shot. We saw that if someone talks, they will get shot. We reported the problem to our leader. The leader went to see what was going on. Meanwhile they had killed another four people. The leader brought the six bodies back.

The OPC went to the main road and stopped people from coming back. They had three buses on the main road. They shot a Hausa boy and left him in the gutter.

On the Sunday, on the roads around here, the OPC was stopping buses and saying: "Where are the Hausa inside? Bring them out, kill them and burn them!" This was happening on the roads from Alaba Suru to Ijora Badia and from Mile 2 to Orile Bus stop, and at Ijora under the bridge where the Hausas do business.

[...] On Thursday, they put dead bodies on a tipper lorry and drove off. All the bodies were together, maybe about one hundred of them. The lorry came only once but it was full.

Some people were killed inside their houses. Some were slaughtered. They put three people in my car and two underneath and burned them. An Igbo man was taken away in front of me. I don't know what happened to him but they burned his car. Just here, more than thirty northerners were killed. Even more people were killed on the roads.

chinedu u care about what happened in 2000 but will never say anything about d Muslim woman n her 4 kids killed by igbos in anambra

wakaman:
Op.
No matter how hard you and your brothers try to incite tribal chaos.

Bear in mind that it is the igbos thar would bear the brunt most all over the country, and it would be bad, very sad as other tribes would rationally be allies against you guys.
You igbos are viewed as "osu" by most other tribes because of your cunning, brash and condescending attitude towards other tribes in Nigeria, na una dey fight hausa , na una dey fight yoruba.

So go on fan it, let it blow hot. You and yours would be consumed like it happened in 67.

Them no born any body to touch Igbos na them dey crase ? Since 2006 have you seen any targeted attack on Igbos in the North? Make them try rubbish

This time na 20 truck of Bible we go send

emmanuelbrown26:

They thought that dis is stone age, where u use Lagos-Ibadan expressway to tarnish and write people off

Exactly

Godwin4444:
chinedu u care about what happened in 2000 but will never say anything about d Muslim woman n her 4 kids killed by igbos in anambra

But it happened

Timothy89:
oya Yoruba and Hausa should start fighting, that's what the op want to achieved



I hate to practise tribalism but Godforbid you igbo become president in this country soon, you people are dangerous people

only foolish non igbos voted obj

I know them for who they are n I will never ever vote them

I will prefer to vote shekau than any Igbo person

Godwin4444:
only foolish non igbos voted obj

I know them for who they are n I will never ever vote them

I will prefer to vote shekau than any Igbo person

Ok