"10 kids feared drowned, scores injured in the Yoruba-Egun ethnic clash .

Ten children were yesterday feared drowned and many others injured during an ethnic clash in Ajah. Several make shift houses and properties were also destroyed. Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives’ timely intervention prevented higher casualty figures, The Nation reports. . . They rescued many including babies trapped inside burning shanties. The fracas broke out on Monday following the alleged invasion of some fishermen by some youths. The youths were said to have asked the fishermen to leave their land for them to make money. Land is a hot cake in Ajah and environ . . According to a resident, Jonathan Zosu, the children were running away when they drowned inside the lagoon at Otodogbame. He said their bodies were yet be found. Zosu said: “This problem started since last weekend but things really got bad on Sunday when the police came here and arrested our monarch, Baale Dansu Hunkpe. . . How can anyone claim we are not Nigerians? Where are we from then? It is all about land tussle. The boys were sent here to chase us out of our homes so that their senders can inherit our properties. The youths, mostly cultists, came with cutlasses and other weapons. . . 

They were cutting people on sight. As they macheted people, they scattered our homes and set them ablaze. 

As I am talking with you, I am still inside the water. We called the police but instead of assisting us, the police joined the hoodlums in burning our homes.” . . But a police source said: “No one died. Some people were injured. In all, about 30 persons have been arrested. It is a fight between the Yoruba and non-indigenes. The Yoruba are claiming the Egun are non-indigenes and so, they should vacate the community. . . 

They said their lands are high priced now and that they want them back, but the Egun refused because they have been in the area for almost 100 years. . . So, because the place is by the water, the hoodlums hide inside the water surrounding bushes and then, come out to light matches on the shanties and disappear again." 

The search for the children was still on as at press time yesterday."