Ile-Ife Ethnic Clash: Yoruba Obas In Ile-Ife Protest Continued Detention Of Colleague As 15 Detainees Released

Traditional rulers from Ile-Ife, on Thursday, protested the continued detention of Oba Ademola Ademiluyi, who was arrested by the police following the bloody clash on March 8, report according to Punch Newspaper says

The Laroka of Wanikin Ife, Oba Kole Ojutalayo, who led other traditional rulers from Ile-Ife to address a press conference in Ile-Ife, said the detention and the parade of Oba Ademiluyi by the police was a desecration of Yoruba customs.

Ojutalayo said Ife monarchs were aware that the police did not treat any emir the way they had treated Oba Ademiluyi, when ethnic clashes occurred in their domains.

The monarch said Ademiluyi had been in police custody for over a month.

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He said, “Ife obas, numbering 40, have written a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the same letter was sent to the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; and the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, on the continued detention of the arrested monarch.”

The monarchs said they were surprised that the police declared Ademiluyi wanted on March 9 in connection with the clash even when available evidence showed that he (Ademiluyi) was in Lagos when the fight broke out.

Ojutalayo said, “Our investigation revealed that while in the custody of the Nigeria Police, Oba Ademola Adedewe Ademiluyi was stripped of his royal paraphernalia, including the removal of his cap, thereby exposing his bare head which is contrary to the Yoruba custom.

“As if that was not enough, he was paraded at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, like a common criminal alongside other innocent Ile-Ife indigenes that were arrested.

“Your Excellency will agree with us that no emir or any other traditional chief in the northern part of Nigeria would ever have been degraded and ridiculed in the manner Oba Ademola Adedewe Ademiluyi was treated by the Nigeria Police.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has released 15 out of the 21 persons arrested for their alleged role in the clash between Hausa and Yoruba youths in Ile-Ife, Osun State, which left at least 46 persons dead.

The Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, told Punch Newspaper correspondent on the telephone on Thursday that the 15 suspects were released unconditionally.

He, however, noted that the Alapoje of Alapoje community in Ile-Ife, Oba Ademola Ademiluyi, and five others were still in police custody.

Odumakin stated, “The police have released 15 of the Ife 21 (detainees) unconditionally.

They were released to Ropo Oyewole, a member of the legal defence team but the kabiyesi (monarch) and five others are still in custody.”

Odumakin, however, said he did not know why the remaining persons were still in custody.

He identified the released persons as Ayoola Abimbola, Bello Wahab, Peter Omisore, Adefisan Isaac, Adelekan Kehinde, Elufisan Akintoye, Omisanmi Isaac, Adejobe Monday, Olanrewaju Adebayo, Akanbi Adeyinka, Obimakin Samuel, Alhaji Zakariyu Abdulyakeen, Bamidele Elufisan, Clement Kehinde and Akinyombo Seye.

It was learnt that the monarch and five others might soon be arraigned in court by the police.

Curiously, all the suspects paraded by the police on March 20 in Abuja were Yoruba.

No Hausa was arrested by the police.

When contacted, the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said he was not aware of the release of the suspects.

Ife Clash: I was SHOCKED Police Says Hausas Are Innocent, I Witness Both Tribe Shut Gun, Arrow At Each other - Rumoured Dead Victim

A victim identified as Mojeed Owoyomi, who was rumoured dead having being beheaded in the IleIfe ethnic clash between Hausa and Yoruba has expressed shocked over police position that it was only the Yoruba who fought in the mayhem were found culpable.

Owoyomi who is said to be vulcaniser in an interview with Punch Newspaper debunked claim that he was beheaded during the clash. He said the rumour is not true. 

Debunking his rumoured dead he told Punch Newspaper thus:

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"It is a lie! I was not beheaded. That is why I am talking to you now. I am not dead, don’t believe that rumour except you cannot see my head sitting on my neck. I am alive. I thank God that I am alive. When the crisis started, I ran away from the scene but they burnt my motorcycle and my engine, the one I use to inflate tyres was carted away. But I realised later that one of my kinsmen was the one who removed the engine to prevent the hoodlums from setting it ablaze. I just collected the engine from the person three days ago."
"But my motorcycle that was burnt down completely is my source of worry now because that is where I get my means of livelihood from. We have very few people that patronise us and you can’t depend on repairing tyres to take care of your family in this area."

Confirming his invlovement in the saga, Omoyori also told Punch Newspaper that:

"We are three and the three of us are Yoruba. Gbenga and Mukaila are the two others. Both of them are alive, none of them was injured. The hoodlums burnt Gbenga’s engine (tyre-inflating machine), but Mukaila, whose workshop is even at the spot where the fight started, did not suffer any injury. Nothing even happened to his engine."

Are you aware that some of the people arrested in connection to the clash have been set freed?

Yes, I heard the news also. I was told that the police have released some innocent ones but that those who are culpable are still being held. That is what I heard . But I was also told that no Hausa person was arrested.

Did Hausa people also fight during the clash?

Yes. They fought. I don’t know why they said none of them was arrested. Most of the shops burnt belong to the Yoruba because there are many Yoruba traders in Sabo. The losses were not limited to any particular group.

I don’t know any of them. When the crisis started , the two sides were throwing stones and bottles at each other. We thought that the whole thing would soon stop but we were wrong. Suddenly, we started hearing gunshots and the Hausa also were shooting arrows. I ran away from the scene because in that type of situation, anybody could be shot.

Have you now resumed work at Sabo after the clash?

I have not returned there. People are just returning in trickles. What happened was very serious, so many of the residents and shop owners at the place are still afraid.

Were you at any point invited by the police?

No, I was not arrested. What did I do to warrant being arrested? I and other Yoruba victims went to the palace (Ooni’s Palace) to report and to put on record what we lost during the clash.

But those at the palace instructed us to go and make an official report at the police station and I went. That was the only thing which took me to the police station. I did not fight, I did not steal, nor did I commit arson, so the police are not after me.

Source: Punch Newspaper