Makinde, Akeredolu visit scene of Oyo traders’ clash, call for peace

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his Ondo State counterpart, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Sunday, visited the Shasha community in Ibadan where traders at the popular market in the area clashed last week.

The governors called for calm and appealed for harmonious peaceful coexistence between the Hausa and the Yoruba in the community.

They also visited the palace of the traditional ruler of Shasha and urged residents of the state to stop taking laws into their hands.

The duo implored the warring factions in the market to eschew violence and allow peace to reign.

Makinde, who assessed the level of destruction at the market, promised to give palliatives to those whose goods and property were destroyed in the mayhem.

The governor said he was reluctant to declare a curfew and close the market.

Makinde said: “I refused to close the market because I felt the economic wellbeing of everyone here is important and because this is where you get what you use to feed yourselves and your families.

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“But I had to take the decision to curb the crisis from escalating. However, I will engage your leaders this evening (Sunday).

“One thing is, if you allow those who don’t have anything to lose here to blow this matter out of proportion, no one will be able to say where the crisis will end.

“But please, I beg of you, let us stop fighting ourselves. I can assure you that we will deal with the situation.

“We must continue to maintain the peace here. Those who are hoodlums here will be dealt with but those who are law-abiding will be compensated for what they have lost.”

Akeredolu, who said he was in Oyo State on behalf of the South-West governors, appealed to aggrieved parties to stop fighting and allow peace to reign.

He said: “Concerning the issue on ground, we have come to beg you. We have been living together for a very long time and this is not the time to start fighting ourselves.

“We have security agencies that you can call their attention to any issue that could cause a crisis.”

He urged residents of the state to cooperate with Makinde and avoid taking laws into their hands.

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