From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the immediate deployment of Police Intervention and Stabilisation Forces to Oyo State, towards restoring normalcy to troubled communities in the state.
The most recent crisis in the state is the communal clash between Yoruba and Hausa at the popular Shasha community in Ibadan. The crisis was triggered by the death of a cobbler, Sakirundeen Adeola.
The deceased reportedly tried to broker peace between one Hausa man and a Yoruba pregnant woman last week Thursday when he was reportedly hit by the Hausa man, rushed to the hospital and died on Friday morning.
The Shasha community, which houses the popular tomatoes and pepper market has not known peace since Friday morning as a number of lives and property worth millions of naira have been lost to the clash that followed the death of Adeola.
The Shasha clash followed the love lost between local farmers and Fulani herdsmen across the three local government areas of Ibarapa, with Igangan, one of the seven principal towns of Ibarapa as the epicentre. The intervention of a Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) brought the crisis in Ibarapaland to global attention.
State Governor Seyi Makinde and his counterpart in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, visited Shasha community Sunday evening and appealed for calm. Governor Makinde had also visited Ibarapaland and also appealed for peaceful co-existence among the Yoruba and Fulani settlers.
Police spokesman Frank Mba, in a press release Monday, explained that the deployments consist largely of intelligence and operational assets of the force.
He added that they include four units of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), seasoned operatives from the Force Intelligence Bureau and one operational/surveillance police helicopter from the Police Air-wing department.
The Intervention Force, according to Mba, is charged with the responsibility of reinforcing and stabilising security in the state and to prevent a further breakdown of law and order, while protecting lives and property and ultimately enhancing public safety and general security in the state.
The police spokesman stated that the intervention force would be coordinated by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), David Folawiyo, ‘who is expected to mobilise all relevant stakeholders towards achieving the mandate of the squad.
‘The IGP assures that the Force is committed to the safety of lives and properties of the citizens in the country. He calls on the citizens and residents of Oyo State and other Nigerians to embrace peace and cooperate with the police and the security community as they redouble their efforts in ensuring that sustainable peace and security are restored to the affected areas.’
