One Injured As Masqueraders Clash With Soldiers in Okene

Heavy gunshots rang through the town of Okene today when followers of a popular masquerade engaged in a violent confrontation with men of the Nigerian Army.

An eye witness who spoke with EbiraView Media on condition of anonymity narrated the trail of event that led to the violent clash.

Acoording to the eye witness accounts, trouble started when a soldier in mufti was accosted in Okene town and was beaten by a masquerade known as Akamawu from Kuroko community of Adavi local government.

The soldier was said to have reported the encounter to his colleagues guarding CCECC expatriates staff yard around  Inoziomi area.

EbiraView Media further gathered that as the masquerade and the followers approached the Inoziomi community, they were ambushed by the military men around Kahal Cinema area and then started firing into the air to disperse the crowd before descending on the masquerade.

The masquerade was reported to have been heavily molested by the uniform men till the costume was pulled off.

The ugly development led to a reinforcement of the masquerade followers who vowed to engage the soldiers until they retrieve their missing costume.

This led to a violent confrontation with rocks flying everywhere just as the soldiers continued to fire sporadically to scare off the invading mob until the intervention of Adavi local government Chairman and his security men.

The local government boss, Honorable Abdulrasheed Okatengwu was said to have pacified  the soldiers till they retreated back to their base.

Even as the missing costume was eventually found among the members of the masquerade, the mob turned up with the same masquerade and started threatening the soldiers, leading to another round of confrontation. Tension rose as the angry soldiers reportedly fired more shots into the air while the mob hauled rocks and other dangerous items at them.

It was a disturbing scenario that led to heavy traffic jam and confusion in the area till night fell.

The eye witness said that a soldier sustained a minor hand injury but no casualty was recorded from the dangerous clash until the mob was eventually dispersed.

It can be recalled that most parts of Ebiraland are usually flooded by masquerades particularly during festive periods like the end of the year.

The uncoordinated activities of some of the masquerades often lead to traffic jam on major roads and sometimes trigger violent clashes among rival groups.