A part of Ilepo Market at Oke Odo, Lagos State, has been set on fire as hoodlums clashed with traders in the market over bet money.
Reporters gathered that the crisis which started in the evening of Wednesday, May 1, escalated to Thursday, May 2, while the police are to restore order and calm in the area.
One of the traders, Aminu Muhammad Sa’id, who spoke with newsmen, claimed: “One of the traders in the market played lotto (bet Naija) and won N13,000 but was given N11,000 and because of the N2,000 balance which he was not given, the fight started.
“The hoodlums from the nearby market used the opportunity to start looting and burning property in the market. They looted a lot of shops, carted away food items and valuables.
“As I am speaking to you, we cannot enter the market, but police are currently there trying to calm the situation, I can hear sounds of tear gas. We have lost millions of naira in the market.”