THE Oyo State Government has urged calm, following the violence that erupted in the Ojoo area of Ibadan on Wednesday, July 8, disclosing that two persons died in the unrest.
It assured residents that a full-scale investigation had been launched to bring those responsible to justice.
The violence followed the killing of a commercial tricyclist on Tuesday night, an incident that infuriated youths in the area, who set fire to makeshift shanties in the area, from where they alleged the killer came from.
Mounting tension mounted among residents prompted the deployment of security operatives to restore law and order.
Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, who visited the affected area on behalf of Governor Seyi Makinde, urged residents, particularly youths, to remain peaceful and allow security agencies to carry out their investigations, warning that government would not tolerate any form of disorderliness capable of disrupting the peace of the state.
He stressed that criminal acts should not be given ethnic or tribal colouration, even as he commended security personnel for swiftly taking control of the situation.
He state: “There was a civil confusion around this place, perpetrated by some criminal elements, having the tendency of snowballing to tribal clash and we must nip it in the bud.
“Criminals are criminals and there is no tribal colouration to criminality. So, we want to ensure peace and stability here in Ojoo and, indeed, all parts of Oyo State.
“We have come to appeal to our people here, particularly the youth, to give peace a chance, because government has waded into the matter now.
“We are profiling, we are investigating and whoever is found culpable will be brought to face the law, whether he is Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba or whatever. Criminality is not exclusive to a particular tribe. We want to know what triggered this crisis and once we know, then we will deal with it decisively.
“But our appeal now is for all our young men and women, youths, and elders to allow the security people to do their jobs.
“The second appeal is to tell our people not to take laws into their hands. That is crucial. You know we already have security challenges on our hands and we do not want the situation to be compounded.
“Let us be well-focused, so that the challenges can be surmounted. Please, be patient so that this one will also be addressed as we are addressing the current challenges that we have.
“We want to appreciate all our youths, men and women, shop owners, for their patience. We understand that we have recorded two casualties. We will probe, we will investigate and the perpetrators will be brought to book.
“The appeal now is for everybody to leave this space. Go back to your homes and allow the security personnel to take charge of this space for now in order to restore peace.”
The Deputy Governor later held a meeting with leaders of the Yoruba and Hausa communities and other stakeholders, where they pledged to continue working together to ensure lasting peace and harmony in the community.
