Hausa-Yoruba clash: Curfew in Ile-Ife, as death toll rises to 10

The Osun State government, yesterday imposed a two-day curfew on the ancient city of Ile-Ife following the violent clash between Hausa and Yoruba.

This is coming at a time when death toll from the clash has risen to 10. Scores of others also sustained various degrees of injury, just as property worth millions of naira were destroyed, with several houses, shops and vehicles burnt.

A statement from Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s office, signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, in announcing the curfew,  which runs from 6pm to 7am, said soldiers and riot policemen had been deployed in the area.

The state government  gave assurance of security agents’ readiness to quell the face-off, while describing the clashes as a breach of public peace. It threatened to bring the full weight of the law to bear on any suspect arrested in connection with the crisis.

Said the government: “This is to assure all and sundry that the breach of the peace in Ile-Ife is not beyond the control of our highly mobilised security forces.

“To this end, the governor of Osun, upon receiving reports of the fracas, the exact cause of which is still under investigation, has ordered deployment of adequate security forces and is getting minute-by-minute situation reports.

“The government, therefore, warns those involved in this act of criminal breach of public peace to end it immediately, as the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone arrested.”

Violent clashes broke out in Ile-Ife,  with Hausa and Yoruba youths engaging themselves with dangerous weapons, such as cudgels, cutlasses and knives, among others.

There are conflicting reports as to the cause of the clash.   One version said the crisis began when a man believed to be Hausa slapped a Yoruba woman simply called Kubura, in an attempt to forcefully keep his luggage in her shop at Sabo Market. This had irked some Yoruba youths around, who pounced on the man.

A trader in the Sabo Market, where the clash began said: “The woman was sitting in her shop when the Hausa man came to her. He wanted to drop some loads with her, but the woman refused. She asked him to take his load away. Suddenly, he slapped the woman. Later, we saw her making a call and some group of youths came to defend her and the fight escalated.”

We gathered that after beating the Hausa man to stupor, assailants locked him up in a shop, which prompted a reprisal attack by the Hausa people.

Another version said the crisis was a continuation of the lingering clashes between factions of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Abuja branch and Hausa people.

The leader of Hausa community in Ile Ife, Seriki  Hausa, was said to have invited the police when the crisis degenerated. The crisis crippled the socio-economic activities in Sabo, Moore and other commercial areas in the town, while motorists made a detour from the troubled zone.

Although a combined team of law enforcement agents, including the police, soldiers and Nigeria Security and  Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were drafted to maintain peace in the area, Sabo area remained volatile at the time of filing this report yesterday.

While sources said the number of victims that lost their lives had hit 50, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folasade Odoro, who confirmed the incident, said the command could not confirm the actual number of casualties until the end of operations.

Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged Ife indigenes and non-indigenes to maintain peaceful coexistence in Ife kingdom.

“As Hausa are sojourners on this land of Ile-Ife, likewise Ife indigenes lives in other towns and cities across the country and in diaspora. Let’s maintain peace and harmony on our lands,” Oba Ogunwusi said.

Meanwhile, security operatives have foiled an attempt by Yoruba residents to gain access into Sabo community, which is predominantly occupied by Hausa people.

It was gathered that the angry mob, however,  invaded Lagere, a neighbouring community and attacked Hausa traders