‘We Know Nothing About Fresh Ife/Modakeke Communal Crisis’

Modakeke indigenes in the Modakeke Area Council have denied any involvement in the recent communal crisis between the ancient town and Ile-Ife.

The Indigenes under the aegis of Modakeke Think Tank, said the recent crisis between Ife and Modakeke is not the handwork of any person from Modakeke but some hoodlums claiming to be from Ife.

A group in Ile-Ife, The Ife Intellectuals, had in a statement signed by its President, Ademuyiwa Adeniran and made available by its Secretary, Kolawole Jimoh, alleged that some Modakeke bandits were behind killings in some Ife villages.

However, in a statement on Friday, Modakeke Think Tank, by its Chairman and Secretary, Kola Olabisi and Femi Oladosu respectively, said the Intellectuals allegation was misplaced and charged them to look in Ife direction for the miscreants.

“We find it irritating and appalling that by this time in the history of our nation, a set of misguided and disgruntled individuals who have been fraudulently benefitting from any make-believe frosty relationship between Ile-Ife and Modakeke would find it convenient to fan embers of discord and disunity between the two communities for their selfish interest.

“We thank God that our revered father, His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and His Royal Highness, the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Olubiyi Toriola, Ajibise-Ogo 1, are men of peace who would never allow their domains to be turned into a theatre of war respectively when other communities are seriously thinking of how their domains would be better than how they met it.

“While we are not foreclosing the existence of any likely misunderstanding among some individuals in both Ile-Ife and Modakeke, it is wicked and treacherous for the affected persons to elevate such infractions into communal affairs in order to whip up undue sentiment and subsequently rocking the lingering existing peace between the two communities.

“It is worthwhile to state that Modakeke which by providence is the closest child to the cradle of the Yoruba will never contemplate any untoward happening to Ile-Ife as whatever affects the cradle will not spare its neighbours of which Modakeke is the closest in terms of affinity.

“We want to make a passionate appeal to those whose preoccupation in the two communities is to cause disharmony, tension and crisis to redirect their priority by focusing on profitable ventures that would improve the existing peace in Ifeland.

“It is observed that Prince Adeniran who bombarded the press with the information that one Chief Adesoji Adedire of Wanisanni village and two anonymous people of Ife extraction were killed refused to add that a Modakeke couple whose wife was backing a baby was earlier slaughtered like a ram in front of his wife by some Ife bandits on March 19th, 2024 at about 7am at Omigbooro, near Abaa Paanu, where three Modakeke farmers were shot while two of them died immediately and the third victim died three days after”, it added.
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