Ooni warns Afenifere against unguarded statements over Ife crisis

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has warned Afenifere the Pan Yoruba group to desist from politicising and making inflammatory statements against the background of the recent Ife clash.

He gave this advice when he hosted members of the Afenifere who paid him a condolence visit in his palace on Wednesday.

Afenifere had earlier condemned the Nigeria Police for what it described as “a premeditated and one-sided arrests being carried out against the Yoruba residents of Ile-Ife” after the clash.  The crisis left in its wake, dozens of people dead and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed.

Reacting to Afenifere’s position, Oba Ogunwusi said issuing unguarded statements on the aftermath of the ethnic clash between mainly Yoruba hoodlums and the Arewa community in the ancient city could instigate reprisal attacks.

Some elements in the North had few days ago warned the Afenifere not to provoke them into revenging what they called the killing of their people in the Ile-Ife crisis.

The Ooni noted that the crisis appeared to have been quelled but expressed displeasure at the recent untoward reactions from notable politicians.

While calling on all stakeholders to allow peace to reign, Oba Ogunwusi equally advised the youths against being used by politicians to cause mayhem.

“I am not oblivious of your complaint, that the arrests made by the police was lopsided but I will advise you to be patient and exercise caution in making any move that could trigger fresh crisis.

“I have spoken with the top echelon of the police on the need to be fair in handling the matter. I must also caution politicians not to use the incident to score any political goals.”

The Afenifere of Yoruba Land as currently constituted, is generally believed to be agency of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).  The group had also proved that in many ways by his open support for the political party ousted out of power only less than two years ago.

The position of the Afenifere therefore over the Ile-Ife crisis has been viewed from political angle rather than the angle of protecting the Yoruba race that it claims to do.  That was laid to rest by the bold statement by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris which said crimes has no tribe.

Speaking on behalf of the social cultural group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo said the alleged arrests of mainly Ile Ife indigenes is an indictment of the police.

“We are not happy with the crisis. One would be surprised about the reason for the clash, because since over forty years that the Yoruba and the Hausa have been cohabiting, there had not been any record of violence between the two tribes.

“Even during Ife/Modakeke crisis, nobody attacked the Hausa in Ife. The Police are to be blamed for this crisis. They caused the crisis. They arrested only Yoruba people after the crisis. It points to the fact that the arrest was preplanned.

“What Afenifere is saying again is that the arrest is one-sided. Some of the people that died in the clash are Yoruba and their houses torched. Nonetheless, we are here to sympathise with both the Yoruba and Hausa residents of Ife,” Adebanjo noted.

However, the Ooni cautioned the group and other concerned politicians against inflammatory statements that may cause reprisal attacks or heighten the already quelled crisis, saying the situation was quite fragile.

Ogunwusi expressed surprise at the influx of politicians and other self-serving individuals to Ile-Ife after the violence, and emphasised on the need for patience and caution in handling the post clash situation.

Other members of the delegation to Ooni included the former Secretary to the Federal Government Chief Olu Falae, spokesperson of the organisation, Yinka Odumakin, a former PDP Senator, Iyiola Omisore, Professor Banji Akintoye, Chief Supo Sonibare, Mr Korede Duyile, Mr Oladipo Olaitan, Mr Niyi Owolode and Profesor Akinyele Onigbinde among others.