- Rules Out Resurgence Of Ife/Modakeke CrisisÂ
His Royal Majesty, (HRM) Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ile Ife, has described the Friday’s attack in Toro village, in Ile Ife, Osun state as a sheer act of criminality and not a dispute on land boundary as purportedly claimed.
HRM Ogunwusi in a statement by the Director, of Media & Public Affairs, Ooni’s palace, Comrade Moses Olafere cautioned the public to refrain from linking the killing of five persons at Toro village in Ife to the long-resolved Ife/Modakeke dispute.
Assuring the public, the Palace of Ife stated that the development has been reported to the appropriate security authorities in the state. It also added that the law will soon catch up with the perpetrators in no distant time.
Going further, the Ooni submitted that Nigeria, like its counterparts across the world, is being confronted by security challenges, which would soon be a thing of the past with the cooperation of all, especially the (citizens).
He commended the government and security operatives including the Police, Department of State Service (DSS), the Nigeria Army, Vigilante groups and others who arrested the situation and restored peace to the ancient city.
Ooni Ogunwusi therefore implores all abiding persons to carry on with their legitimate activities as perpetrators of acts of criminality are not representing any community and will only be treated as criminals.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has called on the residents of Ife and Modakeke towns to keep calm over the killing of five persons by gunmen in Ile-Ife.
This is contained in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Funke Egbemode, on Friday in Osogbo, after a meeting of government officials with heads of security agencies.
Mrs Egbemode, who allayed the fears of a possible resurgence of the Ife/Modakeke crisis, appealed to the people of the areas not to allow criminal elements to seize any situation to unleash mayhem.
The commissioner said that government has also ordered immediate deployment of armed policemen with support from the army in the troubled areas to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
“As government, we have resolved to do everything possible to protect citizens from actual and potential threats.
“As government, we have resolved to do everything possible to protect citizens from actual and potential threats.
“To this end, we have ordered immediate deployment of security operatives to restore law and order.
“We have also directed security operatives to arrest and prosecute any person found fomenting trouble and to fish out those responsible for the killing of the five farmers.
“The state government, therefore, enjoins all citizens to be peaceful and law-abiding as all efforts shall be made to protect them and their property,” she said.