Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
There was palpable tension in Sabo Area of Ile-Ife, in Osun State, on Friday, following a violent clash among labourers at a mining site at Aruwa Village in Atakumosa Local Government Area of the state.
An eyewitness said that the fracas claimed two lives out whom one was said to be an Hausa man, while the other was a Yoruba man.
The identities of the victims were however yet to be confirmed as at the time of filing this report.
The development, we gathered, fuelled tension in Ife, following fears of a reprisal against the Hausa community at Sabo area when the news of the incident filtered into the town.
A source disclosed that there were sporadic gunshots by unidentified gun men, leading to tension, which made many business owners in the area to hurriedly close for business.
We gathered that some schools hurriedly released children to their parents to avoid being caught in the web of crisis.
“The death of that Yoruba labourer is what is currently causing tension among the Northerners living in Sabo area of Ile-Ife, going by their experience in 2017 when the Hausas and Yorubas clashed at Sabo in which many lives were lost,” a source said.
“Since many of those Northern labourers reside at Sabo, there is an apprehension that the Yorubas might want to revenge the death of their kinsmen the way it happened then, which made those northerners to come out with weapons to defend themselves and their property,” the source said.
“Although , the police responded promptly by deploying its personnel to the area, which for now doused the building-up tension,“ the source added.
“The death of that Yoruba labourer is what is presently creating tension amongst Northerners living in Sabo area of Ile-Ife, going by their experience in 2017.
“Since many of those Northern labourers reside at Sabo, there is an apprehension that the Yorubas might want to revenge the death of their kinsman the way it happened then, which made those northerners to come out with weapons to defend themselves and their property.
“Although the police responded promptly by deploying personnel to the area, which for now doused the building-up tension,“ the source said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Osun Command, SP Folasade Odoro, said: The commissioner of police has deployed men to the area. The situation is under control. No panic please.”