By 
Tension is brewing at the popular Oja-Tuntun market in Baboko area of Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state following the mysterious death of a trader, simply known as Alhaja Medinat two days after she reportedly had an altercation with a co-trader known as Alhaja Mariam Babatunde Arolahun.
The duo, it was gathered had on Friday January 12, 2024, had an altercation over a shop newly allocated to the late Medinat by the authorities of Ilorin West local government to sell ingredients for Sobo drinks which are the same items hitherto being sold in the market by Arolahun.
During the ensuing argument, Arolahun according to a son of the deceased, Nurudeen Ibrahim Anifowoshe, allegedly poured a substance believed to be urine on his mother’s body.
The news of the deceased’s death on Monday 15th January, hereby, triggered anxiety, confusion, and tension as many traders attempted to embark on protest but the frayed nerves were calmed by the leadership of the market union who hurriedly called for an emergency meeting.
According to the deceased’s son, the said Arolahun had on Friday, January 12, 2024, led two people in mufti, who claimed to be policemen to pick him up at his mother’s shop after she had done the same to his younger brother named, Latif the previous day.
“On getting to the police headquarters, Ilorin, I was detained in their custody from that Friday till Monday January 15, the day my mother died.
“It was when the news of the death of my mother broke out on Monday January 15 and she was about to be buried that they released me to attend her janaza”, he said.
He said the deceased had since been buried according to Islamic rights in her residence situated in Agbooba Ilorin, opposite Koken Nursery and Primary School.
Although it was not clear whether the late Medinat died as a result of the substance allegedly poured on her which is generating ripples amongst marketers, the reopening of the disputed shops on Monday, January 29th by the authorities of Ilorin West local governmental and resumption of the said Arolahun without mourning her co-trader had sparked off a row in the market.
The local government had reportedly shut the two shops following the crisis that erupted but Arolahun, it was gathered had approached a court of law where she obtained an order compelling the local government to reopen the market.
Irked by the development, the leadership of the market union, under the name of Baboko marketers’ association has threatened to protest naked should the authorities of Ilorin West local government fail to call her to order.
Rising from another emergecy meeting on Monday, the association under the leadership of Alhaja Sadiat Adebara, (the Iyaloja), berated the authorities of Ilorin west local government for “indulging and condoning her acts, which they said were capable of truncating peace in the market.
Prior to the latest incident, the leadership of the association alleged that the Arolahun had at different times used hoodlums and uniform security operatives including military personnel to intimidate co-traders in the market with impunity.
“In a situation like this, what we do is to suspend the erring trader by ordering her to lock up her shop until she is remorseful. We are not preventing anyone from carrying out her business in the market, but this woman is a serial troublemaker and unfortunately the local government authorities do not have respect for our traditions, norms and constitution which have been our guiding principles in resolving such matters”, said the iyaloja.
The association leadership said they had petitioned the Kwara state commissioner of Police for her “series of acts of threats to the wellbeing of the entire people of Baboko market”.
The petition dated 18th January 2024, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, was written through the solicitors to the Baboko Marketers’ Association, Olalekan Adepoju, and CO, and signed by Olalekan Adepoju ESQ.
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