ABUJA – By Paul Efiong. Nigeria Police High Command on Monday announced that 20 suspects arrested in connection with the mayhem that occurred between Hausas and Yorubas in Ile-Ife, Osun State recently would be prosecuted.
Prompt News recalls that the mayhem of 8th of March, 2017, resulted in the loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties worth Millions of Naira.
According to Force PRO, Jimoh Moshood, following deployment of IGP Special Intervention Force led by the Commissioner of Police in charge of PMF, Force Headquarters, Abuja, 38 suspects were arrested and detained.
However, the Force spokesperson said, 20 suspects were found culpable for direct and indirect participation in the killing of innocent people, maiming and destruction of properties of the victims worth millions of naira and will be prosecuted on completion of investigation.
Curiously, all the 20 suspects are Yorubas, no Hausa was paraded while the remaining eighteen (18) suspects have been released unconditionally for lack of prima facie evidence against them yet.
The Force PRO narrated thus:
“On Tuesday, 7th March 2017 at about 2010hrs, one Alh. Nasiru Abdul Magaji ‘m’ of no. 50, Sabo Street, Ile-Ife, Osun State reported at Moore Police Station that one Oba Ademola Ademiluyi ‘m, the Lawarikan of Apoje land, one ELUWOLE Akeem ‘m’ (a.k.a Escort) and Kuburat wife of ELUWOLE Akeem ‘Escort’ all of Ile-Ife, brought some hoodlums with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons to attack the Hausas resident at Sabo area of Ile Ife over a fight between one Abubakar Mohammed ‘m’ of Sabo and Kuburat the wife of ELUWOLE Akeem ‘Escort’. The affray which arose from an altercation between the said Kuburat and Mohammed, was amicably settled on Monday, 6th March 2017.
“Based on the report at the Moore Police Station, 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 Hausas and the Yorubas throwing stones at each other.
The riotous groups were dispersed and calm was restored. The responding Police teams maintained presence at Sabo area of Ile Ife up till the next day. Unexpectedly, on Wednesday 8th March, 2017, the peace of the area was shattered with the eruption of crisis that led to the gruesome killings of forty-six (46) people. A total of ninety-six (96) other persons were taken to Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) out of which eighty one (81) of them were treated and discharged, while Fifteen (15) of the victims are still on admission receiving treatment.
The Special Intervention Force deployed to quell the crisis 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. And that is why eighteen (18) suspects found not to be involved in the crisis were released unconditionally.”
The Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris, called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, public office holders, politicians, opinion leaders, parents and guardians to prevail on their subjects, supporters, children and wards to support the personnel of the Police Special Intervention Force still on ground in Ile Ife and other flash points in Osun State in the discharge of their responsibilities.
