The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has condemned the recent feud between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ife describing members of the Hausa Community as part of his people and co-owners of the town with whom he has enjoyed tremendous loyalty in the last 14 months of his reign.
According to a statement by his Director of Media, Moses Olafare, Ooni Ogunwusi described the crisis a very unfortunate one caused by agents of backwardness and devastation.
“Kabiyesi is very unhappy about the whole crisis. He has always treated the Hausas residing in the town as his subjects and has tremendously enjoyed the loyalty of their leadership, that is why he has not left any stone unturned to bring the avoidable ugly situation to normalcy by acting promptly upon receiving a report of an altercation between a Yoruba woman and a Hausa man on Tuesday evening.
Baba immediately sent some chiefs to address the situation which was amicably resolved and we all thought it was over until we wake up the following morning (Wednesday) to hear that they had started attacking one another. He quickly informed the security agencies who responded very swiftly,” the statement said.
The revered monarch also in the statement praised the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola for his efforts towards ending the crisis.
“Thank God for the normalcy, the governor has been so proactive and the security agents have on top of the situation.”
Aregbesola while speaking, also assured the Hausa Community in the state of adequate protection of their lives and property.
He said the state government is already on top of the communal clash and normalcy had returned to Ile-Ife.
He called on citizens as well as other tribes resident in the state to go about their lawful duties without fear of intimidation as government has put everything in place for their security.
Aregbesola, who condemned the actions of those behind the fracas at Ife promised that those behind the unfortunate incident would be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He said the present administration will continue to work to ensure that the activities of miscreants are completely wiped out of the state to make Osun the most peaceful state in the country.
According to him, the incident at Ile-Ife yesterday is highly unfortunate and least expected, it was caused by some senseless set of people who took laws into their hands.
“We will not allow miscreants in our state, we will fish them out, especially the perpetrators of the fracas at Ife, we are going arrest them from their hiding place and prosecute them. I appeal to communities in our dear state to remain calm and go about their lawful activities. Everything is under control by the government and I promise you that it will never happen again,” the governor said.
Aregbesola, who visited the scene of the clash, expressed regrets that the incident happened.
