Abdulrahman Dambazau, minister of interior, says there’s no crisis between the Yoruba and Hausa communities in Ile-Ife, Osun state, despite the recent clash that claimed lives and destroyed properties.
The clash had forced the state government to declare a two-day curfew in the ancient town.
The minister while speaking with journalists at the weekend condemned the extent of damage and said that government had the situation under control.
Dambazau said that Yoruba and Hausa had co-existed harmoniously in Ile-Ife for over 200 years, adding that there was no case of violent disagreement in all that time.
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He said that miscreants, who were now on the run, were behind the crisis.
“It is very clear that this issue is not about crisis between Hausa community and Yoruba community in Ife. The Hausa community has been leaving in Ife close to 200 years,” he said.
“I understand that the first settlers arrived in 1820 and this is about the 4th or 5th generation. They have never experienced this kind of thing until now. So it is not about ethnic issue. It is about a bunch of people who decided to constitute themselves as nuisance to carry out this dastardly act. Quite a number of them escaped from the community.
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“So we made them understand that they should not look at it from the point of ethnicity and they all agreed. We also emphasis the need to remain in peace and the issue of revenge, reprisal shouldn’t come to anybody’s mind because the government is handling the situation and those who are found to be involved and deliberately attack and take people’s lives and destroyed properties will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“We made them understand that the government is up and doing, the government is taking up its responsibility in ensuring that it protects lives and properties because in accordance with chapter two of the constitution, the purpose of government is protection of lives and properties.”
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