Officials of the Oyo State government, monarchs in the state and officers of the Nigeria Police Force have visited Igangan in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state to assess the level of damage that occurred during an ethnic clash that occurred on Friday.
The top-level visit comes after the clash between supporters of Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba activist popularly known as Sunday Igboho, and Fulani people in Igangan, which left three persons dead and many properties, including the house of Salihu Abdulkadir, the Sarkin Fulani of Oyo, set ablaze.
The youths were allegedly executing Igboho’s order to evict all persons of Fulani extraction away from the community after a seven-day ultimatum, which expired on Friday.
Fatai Owoseni, the Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Security Matters, led the government delegation to Igangan; Oba Francis Alao, the Deputy Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and the Olugbon of Orile Igbon led the monarchs, while Ngozi Onadeko, the state Commissioner of Police, represented the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
The delegation inspected the houses and vehicles burnt in the town.
They all pleaded with the youths to allow peace to reign and assured them that the police and other security agencies would carry out a thorough investigation into the crisis to find a lasting solution to the security challenge in the area.
According to Oba Alao, there would not be development in any community devoid of peace.
The monarch assured them that the government would intensify efforts to ensure that the insecurity situation plaguing the community is properly addressed.
He pleaded that the youths should not allow the issue to degenerate into an ethnic crisis.
Owoseni told the youths that violence would not solve the problem. He assured them that government would work more with the people to ensure their security and development.
In her remarks, Onadeko told the Igangan that she just resumed in the state, but assured them that a proper investigation would be carried out into Friday’s incident and the security issues bedevilling the community.
