The Police yesterday in Abuja confirmed that 46 persons were killed and 96 others wounded during the March 8 and 9, 2017 fracas between the Hausas and the Yorubas in Ile Ife, Osun State.
According to the Police, 38 suspects were arrested and detained in connection of the mayhem but 18 were let off the hook after they were found not culpable while 20 were found to be culpable over the crisis.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Moshood Jimoh while parading 20 suspects arrested over the clashes (all of Yoruba extraction), noted that the suspects were arrested based on information and interrogation during and after the crisis.
He said, “Consequent upon the unfortunate clashes, disturbances of public peace and mayhem that occurred in Ile Ife3, on the 8th of March 2017, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives, destruction of properties worth millions of naira, and the need to put an end to the crisis, the IGP deployed Police Special Intervention Forces.
“The operation was successfully executed leading to the arrest of , detention and investigation of 38 suspects out of which 20 were found culpable for direct and indirect participation in the killing of innocent people, maiming, and destruction of properties of the victims worth millions of naira.
Moshood said “based on the report at the Moore Police Station where the fracas was reported in Ile Ife, a case of conduct likely to cause breach of peace was made against the duo of Kuburat and Mohammed and on getting to the scene, the police team met two groups comprising the Hausas and the Yoruba’s throwing stones at each other.
“The riotous groups were dispersed and calm was restored. The responding police teams maintained peace at Sabo area of Ile Ife up till the next day.
“Unexpectedly, on Wednesday 9th March 2017, the peace of the area was shattered with the eruption of crises that led to the gruesome killing of 46 people. A total of 96 other persons were taken to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), out of which 81 of them were treated and discharged, while 15 of the victims are still on admission receiving treatment”
He listed the 20 suspects as Olarenwaju Adebayo, Akanbi Adeyinka, Obimakinde Samuel, Alhaji Zakari Abdulyekini, Bamidele Ilusanmi, Jimoh Sakiru, Eluwole Akim and Eluwole Kuburat.
Others are Ayoola Ambimbola, Bello Wahab, Taiwo Fokinwajo, Oba Ademola Ademiluyi, Peter Omisokpe, Adefisan Isaac, Adelekan Kehinde, Olufisan Akintoye, Omisanmi Isaac, Olarenwaju Daniel, Seye Akinyonbo and Adejugnon Monday.
The Police said the suspects were arrested in Lagos, Oyo and Osun States noting that many of them went into hiding.
CSP Moshood added that, “The Special Intervention Force did not engage in indiscriminate arrests as being reported in some media but worked on actionable intelligence and other information gathered during and after the crisis. That is why 18 suspects found not to be involved in the crisis were released unconditionally”.
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