One person was feared killed and several others injured as law enforcement agents and suspected shop breakers clashed at Mandate Market, Adewole area, Ilorin, Kwara State.
It was gathered that some shop owners in the market had complained to security agencies that Hausa, who reside in the market, always break into shops at night at will.
The policemen from the market police post subsequently raided the market and arrested some suspects.
A trader narrated that some Hausas insisted that their people must be released and began the protest that led to the shooting.
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Many other traders, who spoke with Daily Trust on Sunday, said one of the Hausas was killed while several other people sustained injuries.
The development further led to pandemonium, prompting the police to fire tear gas canisters to disperse the mob.
Shop owners hurriedly closed for business while motorists and pedestrians plying the Mandate market route from Al-Hikmah University Road and those from Garin Alimi to Mandate quickly made a detour to avoid being caught up in the incident.
Reinforcement of security agents including the police, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Army were quickly dispatched to the market to bring the situation under control.
The spokesman of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, Ayeni Olasunkanmi, confirmed the incident.
Also, the spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, said that the breach of public peace in the market was caused by a misunderstanding between two groups of tomato and pepper sellers in Mandate Market leading to a fracas.
