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Ife north: Ten injured, market torched in fresh communal clash

Another communal clash broke out in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun during which no fewer than ten persons sustained injuries.

The fresh clash is between the people of Ipetumodu and Asipa in Ife north area of the State.

The crisis was said to started on Wednesday evening shortly after misunderstanding that broke aftermath of inter house sports football competition in Community High School Ipetumodu, not far away from Asipa.

The fight allegedly involved youths from both communities. It was further gathered that some unidentified youths came and set ablaze the popular Akinola Market in Asipa a development that escalated the crisis between the two communities.

It would be recalled that the establishment of Akinola Market on the disputed portion of land had sparked off crisis last year in the area.

It was learnt that several gun shots were fired into the air to heighten tension in the area. Though some policemen have been drafted to the area to maintain law and order, it was gathered that no fewer than ten sustained injuries.

One of the traditional chiefs who do not want want his name in the print laid the blame to Asipa community saying they turn mere school riot to community clash and burning of our market.

He alleged that this is not the first time that such attack would be carried out against our people.

But a chieftain of Asipa, Julius Ogerinde denied the allegation adding that they were aggrieved because of the government white paper on the disputed land which favour outside.

” They only use the avenue of of the Inter house Sport competition to perpetrate their grievance and three of our people were shot”.

When the Police Public Relation Officer, Mrs. Folashade Odoro was contacted she confirmed the clash and said the policemen had been drafted to the area to maintain law and order.

She said that normalcy has since returned to the area.

Meanwhile, the government of the state of Osun as denied that any fresh crisis started in Ile Ife on Friday.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday evening in Osogbo, Mr. Tope Adejumo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Senior Special Assistant on Security, stated that there is no fresh crisis in Ile Ife as everyone is going about their normal businesses.

He warmed those publishing false news in the hope of wiping up ethnic sentiment to desist forthwith.

Mr. Adejumo however noted that some youth in the Asipa and Ipetumodu area of Ife North Local Government had earlier Friday afternoon engaged each other in a free fall over some boundary dispute. He noted that it was not an inter-ethnic clash and neither was it crisis, the Security aide describe it as a case of ‘breach of public peace’ and the dispute is being.

He noted that normalcy has since returned to both towns and law enforcement agencies deployed to the area to maintain peace and other.

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Ihesiulo Grace

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