ONDO: Report of attack on Hausa community unhealthy rumour to stir still waters – Police

*It’s case of attempted robbery

*People killed were Yoruba, Hausa – Sariki Hausawa

*Says no Hausa was killed in Owo

By KEMI KASUMU

As fake news machine continues to thrive within a section of the Nigerian media thereby compounding the already charged situation in the country, the Nigerian Police Force Thursday cautioned against Nigerians relying on social media as source for serious information needs.

This was as Ondo State Police Command busted yet another such report in a particular online newspaper (not The DEFENDER) that six Northerners were killed as gunmen allegedly invaded the Hausa community of Sabo in Ondo, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State midnight of Wednesday June 8, 2022.

Funmilayo Odunlami, a Superintendent of Police, who is the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), made this dismissal in a statement she signed on behalf of the Commissioner of Police and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Thursday.

In the statement with Ref No. AZ:5280/ONS/PPRO/VOL.1/118 dated 9th June 2022, the Ondo State Police Command Spokeswoman described the report as unhealthy rumour to stir still waters.

According to SP Odunlami, “The attention of the Ondo State Police Command has been drawn to a fake news being peddled by some mischief makers to cause panic, tension and strife in the State.

“The Command wishes to state clearly that there was no reprisal attack on the Hausa Community at Sabo area in Ondo town or any part of the state as purported by this war mongers,” she said.

The DEFENDER reports that complaint level has risen about situation of slanted, twisted and fake news, which has continued to put journalism on trial particularly in Nigeria, and which has required that media practitioners should double their effort and commitment to professionalism in terms of quality based investigation system.

What really happened, “On Tuesday, 7th of June, 2022, there was an attempted robbery on a J5 vehicle with plate no MKA – 469 YJ carrying Onions and Potatoes coming from Zaria enroute Ore, had a stop over at Ondo town and was attacked by men of the underworld around 0110hrs . In the cause of this attempt, the robbers shot the driver, while the motorboy escaped with bullet injury, a motorcyclist alongside the pillion and a passerby were also hit by stray bullets,” the police statement said.

“It is however disheartening that, these peddlers, who are out to achieve no good, did not confirm the story before spreading this falsehood as the victims involved in this failed robbery are from Yoruba, Igbo and Northern extraction.

“Investigation has since commenced and effort is ongoing to arrest the assailants.

“On this note, the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, CP Oyeyemi Adesoye Oyediran, psc, fsi, urged the people of the state to remain calm and disregard the fake news, as the rumour mongers are out to stir unnecessary chaos and disrupt the peace of the State.

“This is also to warn the peddlers of this fake news to desist as the Command will not fold its arms and let them shatter the peace being enjoyed in the State,” SP Funmilayo Odunlami said in the police statement.

When speaking to The DEFENDER, information given by Sariki Hausawa of Akure, Alhaji Babangida Sadiq, who was with the Sariki Hausawa Ondo and who said he confirmed seeing some of the dead bodies, corroborated the report by the state police command.

Sariki Sadiq said “I am in Ondo town with the Sariki Hausawa Ondo and I witnessed some of the things that happened.  One of the dead bodies has been buried there in Ondo while the Hausa community are saying they want to take others to Kano for burial. They are, however, being told not to take the dead bodies to Kano to avoid escalation of problem.”

He continued, “In truth, there was an incident that happened at Sabo, where a Maishai, Hausa tea seller was doing his business making tea, egg and bread for people to eat.  Last midnight (Tuesday) being an area that enjoys night life, a J5 loaded with onions parked to buy tea and bread. There were also two Yoruba persons sitting with the Maishai perhaps to also buy tea and bread. Suddenly, gunmen came on many Okada and shot into the Maishai place killing those two Yoruba persons and three Hausa persons and bullet enter through the wall and killed another Hausa man sleeping inside a shop around the place.

“It was one person that woke up by the sound of the bullet and who saw the gunmen and crawled to the Mosque near the place that told us exactly what happened. He said the killers did not collect anything but just shot those Yoruba and Hausa people and left,” Alhaji Babangida Sadiq told The DEFENDER in a telephone interview on Thursday.

Sariki Sadiq also said the earlier information that Hausa members of Owo community were being killed, due to the attack on St Francis Catholic Church unverifiably published in a media report as done Fulani persons, was fake news as no Hausa person was killed and that there was nothing to suggest that happened anywhere in the area.