Hausa, Yoruba Clash: OPC Decries ‘Arbitrary’ Arrest of Ife Indigenes

The Oodua People’s Congress, OPC has raised alarm over what it described the arbitrary arrest of Ife indigenes in connection with the crisis that erupted at the Sabo area of the ancient town, where several lives and properties were lost.

OPC, in a release signed by the Publicity Secretary, Bar Yinka Oguntimehin, and made available to CityMirrorNews in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, called for immediate release of the arrested persons, just as it sought for more holistic measures to settle the crisis instead of arbitrary arrest of only Ife indigenes.

It called for caution in handling the communal clash by security operatives, stating that limiting arrest to Ife indigenes was bias and therefore called for better amicable intervention that would restore peace into the town.

The OPC’s reaction was reportedly compelled by raging allegations that only Ife indigenes were singled out for arrest in connection with the crisis.

Rising from an emergency meeting on wayforward on the crisis, OPC expressed concern that the measure being adopted to quell the crisis would only midwife a cold comfort, should the indigenes be made to bear the scars of the tussle alone.

According to OPC, Ife, being the cradle of the Yoruba, is symbolic and being held in high esteem by sons and daughters from the race, hence, issues connected with the ancient town should be treated with care and accuracy.

“Ife is our root. Ife and Yoruba race as a whole are known for uncommon hospitality. We care for settlers in our domain to a fault and this is why we believe there are more to the recent crisis that engulfed Ife than meet the eyes.

“You will recall that at the point when Ife and Modakeke were engulfed in crisis, no harm befell any of the settlers on both sides.

“We ensured that their lives and properties were protected adequately. And this was ensured basically as a mark of respect for the rights of the settlers, who we believe, have right to settle down in any part of Yoruba domain to do business.

“We will not want this hospitality to be mistaken for cowardice. The Yoruba race is not and will never submit to being a conquered nation. We say no, to any treatment that will restrict us to being slaves on our own land.

“We say no to any measure skewed to favour only a side in a crisis of this nature. We call for the release of all the arrested Ife indigenes while a better amicable way be proffered to settle all frayed nerves and settle the crisis permanently.

“We call on the Osun State government to exercise restraint on this matter by holding on comments until those investigating the crisis get to the root cause of it.

“Any attempt to apportion blames at this point will be preemptive, Oguntimehin stressed.

OPC however called on the indigenes of the ancient town to remain calm while government and other relevant authorities put heads together to proffer better ways out of the crisis.