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• Govt rejects ethnic angle, launches investigation
By Oluseye Ojo
Oyo State Government yesterday confirmed the death of two persons in a violent disturbance that rocked the Ojoo area of Akinyele Local Government.
The government assured people that security agencies had taken control of the situation, while investigations continued into the circumstances that triggered the unrest.
The violence, which left several other people injured and paralysed commercial and social activities in the bustling community, reportedly broke out after the alleged killing of a commercial tricycle operator, identified simply as a Yoruba during a dispute over a Point-of-Sale (POS) being operated by an Hausa, over a transaction on Tuesday night.
Some makeshift houses on a rock, opposite the big roundabout at the mouth of Ojoo flyover, were also set ablaze on Wednesday. It was alleged that as the burning was ongoing, some people on top of the rock, believed to be inhabited by scavengers, fired gunshots to the opposing people, which killed and injured some persons.
Despite claims by some residents that the death toll was higher, the government maintained that only two fatalities had been officially established, assuring that further investigations would determine the full extent of the incident.
To prevent a further breakdown of law and order, combined teams of the police and the military were deployed to the area, while top government officials, traditional rulers and community leaders embarked on peace efforts, urging residents to remain calm and shun reprisals.
Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde, Deputy Governor, Chief Adebayo Lawal, dismissed suggestions that the disturbance was ethnically motivated, insisting that the incident was purely a criminal act.
“Criminality has no tribal identity. Our priority is to restore peace and stability in Ojoo and across Oyo State. Anyone found culpable, irrespective of ethnic background, will face the full weight of the law.”
He appealed particularly to youth to refrain from taking the law into their hands and cooperate with security personnel by staying away from the troubled area to allow unhindered security operations.
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Lawal assured residents that the state government would unravel both the immediate and remote causes of the disturbance, prosecute those responsible and ensure justice for the victims.
An eyewitness, Azeez Olamiposi, told journalists that the crisis began when a tricycle rider attempted to withdraw money from a POS operator late Tuesday.
He alleged that a delay in confirming the transaction because of network failure led to an argument after the rider had already received the cash.
Olamiposi said the rider tried to reassure those present by offering his tricycle, its keys and his mobile phone as security until the transaction was resolved, but alleged that another individual intervened and assaulted him, resulting in injuries that later proved fatal.
He further claimed that outrage over the incident drew residents to the scene yesterday morning, where tensions escalated into a violent confrontation that left more people injured.
He also alleged that gunshots were fired during the disturbance, although security agencies had not confirmed the claim.
Chairman of Akinyele Local Government, Akinwole Akinleye, has also appealed to residents to allow the police to conclude their investigation, stressing that the incident should not be interpreted through an ethnic lens.
He disclosed that security agencies had made arrests in connection with the disturbance and expressed confidence that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Akinleye added that leaders of both the Hausa and Yoruba communities had already opened dialogue aimed at preventing a recurrence and preserving the peaceful relationship that has existed among residents over the years.
As of last night, security operatives maintained a strong presence in the area, while normalcy gradually returned to the community.
