•Fayemi condemns Yoruba-Hausa clash, canvasses dialogue
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Oyo State Government yesterday ordered the indefinite closure of Shasha market, in Akinyele Local Government Area, following a crisis that erupted since Thursday. The government also imposed dusk till dawn curfew on the community.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, said the governor took the steps to forestall a further breakdown of law and order in the area.
Also in his reaction, Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, condemned the violent clash between some Yoruba and Hausa traders in Shasha market, Ibadan.
Fayemi in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, on Saturday, called on the warring traders to sheathe their swords and embrace peace.
He sympathised with the government and people of Oyo State, especially families that have lost lives and properties during the violent clash.
Three persons were feared dead at the market and its environs when violent clashes erupted between Yoruba and Hausa traders in the early hours of Friday. The Yoruba were said to be reacting to the death of a cobbler, who was attacked with dangerous weapons by a Hausa trader in the market on Thursday.
Adisa said in the statement that the curfew would run from 6pm to 7am. The statement warned residents of the affected area to go about their legitimate businesses peacefully, as anyone caught perpetrating violence would face the wrath of the law.
The statement read, “His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde has directed the immediate closure of Shasha market indefinitely following reports of a breach of peace in the area. The governor has also approved the imposition of curfew on Shasha. It will run from 6pm to 7am.
“Residents of the affected area are enjoined to go about their legitimate businesses within the hours stipulated by the law. Anyone caught disrupting the peace of the community will be made to face the wrath of the law.”
Meanwhile, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso 1, has urged the warring groups to sheathe their swords and embrace an amicable settlement of their differences. The monarch, who bemoaned the high level of insecurity in the country in recent times, spoke in Ibadan on Saturday after holding virtual meetings with relevant stakeholders, including Hausa/Fulani leaders in the ancient city.
Oba Adetunji, in a statement by his Personal Assistant/Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Adeola Oloko, said for all citizens to truly belong to the nation called Nigeria, people must eschew violence and bitterness and ensure that minor conflicts do not degenerate to unnecessary tension.
The first class monarch said, “Many of our compatriots have been living with each other for a long time. We grow up and attend schools together. People from diverse ethnic groups do inter-marry and give birth to lovely children.”
Oba Adetunji stated that it was a surprise to him that crisis could break out in Sasa and culminate in large-scale destruction, such as the burning of property belonging to neighbours.
“Immediately the report of the crisis got to us in the palace yesterday, the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, was the first person I called and we have his promise that appropriate action would be taken, as sinners would not go unpunished.”
The monarch urged the governor to consider the possibility of compensating all those affected by the crisis. A s.
Fayemi Condemns Clash
Governor Fayemi said regardless of the cause of the disagreement that led to the mayhem, a peaceful resolution of the conflict remains the best option.
He urged the Yoruba and Hausa raders in the area and in different parts of the country to see themselves as brothers and partners in progress, adding that disagreements should not always be allowed to degenerate into violence, maiming and killing.
The Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), warned that the Shasha crisis, if not curtailed, could ignite pockets of crises in different parts of the country, adding that that could be disastrous for the country.
“We do not need any act of violence leading to unnecessary death of citizens. Now is the time for the leadership of various ethnic nationalities, trading groups and the security agencies to halt the orgy of violence in Shasha area and work towards ensuring peace in different parts of the country.
“We will enjoy enduring peace and progress through dialogue, mutual respect and understanding for one another. Violence and attendant death and destruction would only spell doom for the country.
“While commending Governor Makinde for his timely intervention in the crisis, we also express our sympathy to families of the victims as well as those who have lost properties and businesses during the crisis.”, Fayemi added.
