Gist:- Oyo state government shuts Bodija market as police and butchers clash

The Oyo state government on Thursday, June 28, shut down Bodija market in Ibadan, as police and butchers clased.

A tweet from the verified twitter handle of the Oyo state government, @oyostategovt, said the directive was an aftermath of the sporadic shooting which occurred earlier in the market.

Adekunle Oladeji, the Aare Laatosa LCDA chairman, said the closure is to prevent the loss of lives and property of the citizens.

According to The Punch, the clash began when some of the butchers accused their leaders of taking gratification from the government to support the relocation order.

The clash led to the closure of shops in the market while traders vacated the market because of the commotion.

The butchers complained that the proximity of the abattoir to the herdsmen quarters was a cause for worry and also a source of health hazard that can spark off anytime, Vanguards reports.

One Pastor Jigan, who acted as a spokesman to the butchers, said: “The closeness of the herdsmen and all butchers in Oyo State to Amosun Village could trigger off crisis of unimaginable proportion.”