Yoruba/Hausa Clash 46 Killed n 96 Injured In Ile-Ife

Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Moshood Jimoh, who made the disclosure while parading 20 suspects of Yoruba extraction, arrested in respect of the clash, said the suspects were picked based on information and interrogation during and after the crisis.

The Police at Force headquarters, yesterday, said that 46 persons were killed and 96 others wounded during the clash that erupted between the Hausa and the Yoruba communities in Ile Ife, Osun State.

Asked by newsmen why 38 suspects were originally arrested and only 20 were found culpable in the clashes with the other 18 were set free, the FPRO said, investigation by the police was still ongoing adding that contrary to insinuations, the arrest is not one sided nor based on ethnicity. Giving details of the arrests, CSP Moshood said, “Consequent upon the unfortunate clashes, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, deployed Police Special Intervention Forces.

“It comprised of the Police Mobile Force, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Counter-terrorism Unit, Intelligence Response Unit SIB, EOD and led by the Commissioner of Police in Charge PMF. “The operation was successful, leading to the arrest, detention and investigation of 38 suspects out of which 20 were found culpable for direct and indirect participation in the killing of innocent people, maiming, and destruction of properties of the victims. He said the 20 will be prosecuted on completion of investigations, while the remaining 18 suspects have been released unconditionally for lack of prima-facie evidence against them.

Continuing, Moshood said that; “Based on the report at the Moore Police Station where the fracas was reported in Ile Ife, a case of conduct likely to cause breach of peace was made against the duo of Kuburat and Mohammed and on getting to the scene, the police team met two groups comprising the Hausa and the Yoruba throwing stones at each other. The riotous groups were dispersed and calm was restored. “The responding police teams maintained peace at Sabo area of Ile Ife up till the next day.

“Unexpectedly, on Wednesday 9th March 2017, the peace of the area was shattered with the eruption of crisis that led to the gruesome killing of 46 people. ‘’A total of 96 other persons were taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH, out of which 81 of them were treated and discharged, while 15 others are still on admission receiving treatment” Those  paraded yesterday are Olarenwaju Adebayo, Akanbi Adeyinka, Obimakinde Samuel, Alhaji Zakari Abdulyekini, Bamidele Ilusanmi, Jimoh Sakiru, Eluwole Akeem and Eluwole Kuburat. Others are Ayoola Abimbola, Bello Wahab, Taiwo Fokinwajo, Oba Ademola Ademiluyi, Peter Omisope, Adefisan Isaac, Adelekan Kehinde, Olufisan Akintoye, Omisanmi Isaac, Olarenwaju Daniel, Seye Akinyonbo and Adejugnon Monday.

Speaking briefly before they were taken away, Oba Ademola Ademiluyi denied involvement in the mayhem saying that when his car ran into the fracas, he diverted his journey to avoid his windscreen being damaged. The Police, however, said the suspects were arrested in Lagos, Oyo and Osun States noting that many of them went into hiding.

Moshood said, “The Special Intervention Force did not engage in indiscriminate arrests as being reported in some media but worked on actionable intelligence and other information gathered during and after the crisis. That is why 18 suspects found not to be involved in the crisis were released unconditionally.”