No fewer than three persons, including two women and a young boy, were killed in a riot that erupted in Byazhin, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday.
Newsmen gathered that the riot which started on Tuesday night followed a clash between some local scavengers popularly known as Baban bola, and residents of the community.
Trouble began when one of the bola boys attempted to steal a woman’s pot of soup on Tuesday evening but was overpowered and beaten up after the woman alerted neighbours and passers-by.
An eyewitness, who identified herself simply as Monica, told newsmen that when the scavenger was eventually released after a terrible beating, he went to mobilise hoodlums who returned to the scene wielding weapons including machetes.
According to the eyewitness, the hoodlums attacked residents of the area randomly leading to the killing of the woman.
Two other persons believed to be passers-by were also killed in the riot.
“Nobody slept in his or her house that night. The Baban bola people came with all kinds of weapons. They destroyed buildings just because one of them was beaten after attempting to steal a pot of soup.
“They killed two people that night and when they attacked the area on Wednesday morning, they killed another person making it three people that died.
“Many people were injured and have been rushed to the general hospital here in Kubwa,” she said.
Newsmen learnt that schools in the area were closed down on Wednesday morning as parents scampered to pick up their schoolchildren from their classrooms for safety.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the attack to newsmen.
She said several suspects have been arrested in connection to the violent attack, stressing that they “are currently being interrogated to ascertain their complicity”.
The PPRO noted that normalcy has since been restored in the area.