Minister visits Ife clash scene, expresses shock
The Interior Minister, Lt. Gen. AbdulRaman Dambazzau, said that he was shocked and confused, when he heard that there was dispute between Yoruba and Hausa indigenes in Ile-Ife.
He wondered why such occurred, saying that there has been no such report ever since ages past.
This is as he gave assurance that the Federal Government would restore peace and sanity to every nooks and crannies of the nation.
Dambazzau spoke on Thursday, at Ooni’s of Ife’s palace after visited Sabo area of Ile-Ife, where crisis ensued between Yoruba and Hausa in the ancient town on March 8.
He said, “‘I am a part of Ile-Ife. I know Ile-Ife as a land of peace, accommodating strangers, friendly and loving other ethnics, so I wonder how such incident occured.
“All we want in all communities is peace. For without peace, we cannot sleep nor slumber, there cannot be any development.
“All should jointly fish out the bad eggs in the community. The perpetrators will not go unpunished, for this will serve as deterrent to other hoodlums.”
Dambazzau retierated that criminals caused the mayhem not Ife nor Hausa community.
He commended the efforts of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Gov Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, for the roles since the crisis happened.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was represented by his second-in-command, Oba Idowu Adediwura, the Obalufe of Ife, said that the incidents was saddened and regrettable.
He added that ife indigenes and the entire Yorubas are peace loving and accommodating.
Ooni said that normalcy has returned to the land, noting that peace has started reigning on the land.
In the same vein, the State Governor of Osun, Engr Rauf Aregbesola who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, appreciated the minister’s visit to the source of Yoruba’s.
He said that Hausa people have been living in Ife since 1824 closed to 200 years.
“We have shared culture, tradition and religion with Hausas, automatically we have become the same siblings,” he added.
