For three days last week, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital was in flames, courtesy of a violent clash that broke out among hoodlums suspected to be political thugs allegedly in the fold of a leading opposition party in the state.

The mayhem which started on Sunday following an alleged disagreement on the sharing formula of a paltry N20, 000 doled out by a prominent politician in the state to some hoodlums. The conflict continued till Tuesday.

At least, five lives were lost to the incident, though the police confirmed only three deaths. About 15 persons also sustained bullet wounds during the fracas which paralysed commercial activities in most parts of Ilorin metropolis.

Investigation by LEADERSHIP Sunday revealed that trouble started penultimate Friday evening shortly after some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Alore area of Ogidi ward in Ilorin West local government defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was gathered that the hoodlums clashed with one another as they could not agree on sharing formula for the sum of N20, 000 reportedly doled out to them by a politician, thereby degenerating to bloody clash.

The fracas which started around Abayawo area later spread to Alore-Ode Adana-Omoda, Ode-Alawusa, Okelele and recorded the death of one person on that day.

However, in a reprisal that followed on Sunday, it was gathered that another person simply identified as Ebba was killed in cold blood at Ode Alawusa area. In an attempt to avenge the death of Ebba, the hoodlums again on Monday renewed hostilities setting up fires, thereby paralysing commercial and social activities in the affected areas. Some of those who sustained bullet wounds were rushed to the headquarters of Kwara State Hunters Association situated at Balode Street, Isale Banni, Ilorin.

Soldiers and armed mobile police men in about 20 vans were deployed to the affected areas to disperse the miscreants. During the renewed clash on Monday, the death toll rose to five.

While an unidentified motorcyclist was allegedly shot dead by security operatives, another person simply identified as Dauda reportedly died in cross fire by the rampaging hoodlums. Two Air force personnel deployed to the trouble spots were also said to have been attacked during the fracas.

However, as the crisis progressed, the ruling APC and the opposition PDP in the state engaged in a war of words over what necessitated the nightmare that the peace-loving people of Ilorin were thrown into for three days.

The PDP threw the first salvo when its spokesperson, Chief Rex Olawoye, alleged that a certain government official masterminded the killing of a person said to be former member of APC but recently defected to the PDP. Olawoye blamed the incident on some hoodlums who he alleged were loyal to certain APC chieftains.

He said the alleged APC thug unleashed violence on some former members of APC who defected to the PDP recently. "Our party has made it clear to the commissioner of Police that it would not allow this sad occurrence to be swept under the carpet. We have asked that all those arrested so far, including alleged members of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) deployed by a high ranking political office holder in the area to reinforce the APC thugs to be investigated," Olawoye stated.

In a swift reaction, the APC in a statement by its publicity secretary, Alh Sulyman Buhari decried the destruction of properties at Alore-Omode area of the metropolis and the wanton killing of innocent citizens by those he alleged were PDP agents.

The APC statement reads in part: "The APC expresses sadness that the life of a young Kwaran can be brutally cut short by thugs due to mere controversies surrounding the distribution of a largesse given to PDP members by a former senator in Kwara State.

"The violent activities of the opposition PDP in the state is a concern to the APC. The APC has consistently alerted the good people of Kwara State and the Police Command on the violent disposition, gangsterism and the rich record of violence the PDP flaunts.

"Surprisingly, the PDP has broken its own record of violence in the state. The APC condemns the murder of the deceased and the destruction of properties at Alore-Omoda area in Ilorin, during a clash between PDP thugs. Nothing better illustrates that fact that the PDP is truly a violent PDP.

"The death of the young man is avoidable and the destruction of properties in the affected area is unjustifiable. We wonder why the sharing of a largesse given to PDP members by a former senator in the state should lead to the killing of human being.

"The APC believes life is sacrosanct; either APC member or member of opposition parties or any Kwaran. The buck of this irresponsibility stops on the leadership of Kwara PDP. We warn the PDP to desist from oiling its evidently weak political machinery with the blood of Kwarans.

"Similarly, the PDP senatorial meeting at Oro Lodo primary school, Omu-Aran, last Saturday turned bloody as members engaged in a fight to finish during the distribution of a national cake that was sent from Abuja. Many persons were injured and many others were gravely wounded.

"Meanwhile, we are aware that the Police Command has taken charge of the unfortunate incident. We urge the Police Command to prosecute the PDP thugs and their sponsors to prevent future occurrence of same or related incident."

Also, the Oodua People's Congress (OPC) punctured the PDP's claim that its members were called in to assist the APC supporters in the crisis as it dissociated itself from the violent clash.

In a statement, the state coordinator of OPC, Comrade Maruf Olarewaju said, "Our attention has just been drawn to a statement credited to the state PDP over the recent clash among political thugs linking OPC with the crisis. We state loudly and clearly that OPC is not in any way involved in the said political crisis.

"We are not a political thugs association and never shall we subject ourselves to any political party to be used as a tool to foment crisis. It is unfortunate that the PDP failed to verify the genesis of the problems within its party before it ran to the press. Our organisation is a non partisan one and we will not want anybody or group or party to draw us to it crisis.

"We hereby call on politicians to play their politics genuinely and accordingly as 'OPC is to protect and not to destroy'. The law enforcement agents and state government should not forget that last month, we alerted the public on the activities of some hoodlums grouping themselves together in Ilorin West local government area. It is unfortunate that nothing meaningful has been done on that. We call on the state government and security agents to get to the root of the Alore and Omoda fracas so as to bring the perpetrators to book."

However, the riot act which the state police commissioner, Mr Ambrose Aisabor read to politicians in the state on the need for them to stop doling out peanuts to their followers might have been the cause of the controversy surrounding the crisis.

While parading 14 suspects arrested in connection with the crises in parts of Ilorin, Aisabor warned politicians in the state to stop promoting violence through their actions. He cautioned politicians against doling out peanuts to their supporters which the sharing often leads to violent confrontation.

Instead, Aisabor urged such politicians domiciled either in or outside the state to empower their people to fend for themselves. He added that, "The political situation in the state has been very peaceful. Though, occasionally, we see political thugs disturbing in one way or the other. Let me use this medium to advise politicians in Kwara State including those residing in the state and those outside that politics is a game of choice. You don't force people or intimidate them.

"Instead of coming to Ilorin occasionally to distribute money to jobless youths, I expect politicians to set up cottage industries; factories where these teeming youths could be gainfully employed, rather than coming here to give them peanuts and in the process of sharing the money, they will be killing and maiming one another. That is not good politics. It is not the politics Nigerians want.

"On no account should they come to Ilorin to dole out peanuts to their so-called supporters who are glorified touts that will lead to violence. There are so many ways on empowering their people.

"I am also using this medium to warn them that apart from the president, vice president, governors and their deputies that have immunity, other Nigerians have no immunity. So, no Nigerian is above the law. We will deal with anyone found wanting according to the law.

The suspects paraded before the newsmen in connection with the crisis are Rasheed Isiaka, Lukman Adesegiri, Abdulazeez Yahaya, Lukman Ibrahim, Bolaji Ologele, Tunde Ologele, Abdulrafiu Shehu and Abdulganiyu Issah.

Others are Tunde Alakia, Abdulraheem Raji, Tajudeen Ahmed, Aromokala Issa, Opeyemi Yunusa and Abdul ganiyu Abdulazeez.

Some exhibits found on them include charm, one blood--stained cutlass, one saw and seven motorcycles.