The displaced butchers at the Bodija market said that 11 of its members and many cows have been arrested and still in the custody of Oyo state Police command.
They also claimed that they have lost over N300 million since the crisis that claimed lives of about six people on Thursday started.
Secretary of one of the shops at Bodija abattoir, Mr. Adam Babatunde who gave a detailed background of the crisis while addressing journalists at the weekend noted that the abattoir at Amosun village belonged to a private company which the butchers have rejected for many reasons.
One of the reasons according to him is the increment of the slathering fees to N3,000 against the N1,000 being charged at Bodija.
Babatunde who said that over 500 cows are being slathered at Bodija alone in a day said it will amount to total exploitation to subject and force all butchers in 11 LGAs and 14 LCDAs in Ibadan to a single place owned by a private company which is contrary to what is obtainable in other states. He also cited the closeness of the abattoir to Akinyele, a predominantly dominated village by Hausa cattle breeders, distance to the city among others as reasons the butchers rejected the relocation move.
He said over 20,000 people including butchers, meat sellers, perishable goods sellers, transporters, unemployed youth and house wives have been affected by the crisis, revealing that forcing them to go to Amosun will no doubt cause a lot of havoc on those whose daily bread are being derived from the butching activities.
While urging the state government under Senator Abiola Ajimobi to rescind its decision on the relocation order, Babatunde wondered why the Governor after refusing to implement the relocation will wake up in a day and ordered that all of them should move to the village 10 months to the end of his administration.
