Peace Returns to Ife as Ooni Inaugurates Truth and Reconciliation Committee

Peace has returned to Ife in Osun State after last week’s fracas between Yoruba and Hausa communities.Meanwhile, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has inaugurated a truth and reconciliation committee to ensure peace between the warring communities in the ancient city.
 

 
Oba Ogunwusi inaugurated the committee in his palace on Saturday in Ile-Ife, Osun. The Ooni described members of the Hausa community in Ile-Ife as his subjects and co-owners of the town with whom he has enjoyed tremendous loyalty in the last 14 months of his reign.
“Thank God for the normalcy, I commend Governor Rauf Aregbesola for being proactive and the security agents for their efforts towards ending the crisis,” he said.

The royal father condemned the actions of those behind the fracas on Wednesday and expressed optimism that they will soon be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He assured the residents that the situation had been brought under control by the government and promised that such mayhem would not be allowed to occur again.
The monarch admonished the Hausa community not to retaliate, saying that the Abuja motor park would be relocated from Sabo, while the police station would be relocated too. He urged all the Yoruba citizens to always embrace the Hausa settlers and other ethnic groups as their brothers and sisters for a peaceful co-existence.
The committee is chaired by Obalufe of Ireland, Oba Idowu Adediwura. Other members are the Jaran of Ife, High Chief Ademola Adeyeye; Wasin of Ilare, High Chief Zacheus Olasode, Seriki Hausa of Ife, Alhaji Mamuda Mandagali; Ezendigbo of Ife, Ezekiel Onyejekde; Okobairo of Urhobo, David Akpomedaye; Chairman, Modakeke Progressive Union, Alhaji Tajudeen Oke and security agencies, while Senator Babajide Omoware is the adviser for the committee.
Meanwhile, the probe panel setup by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to investigate the communal clash arrived Osun State on Saturday.
The Osun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Folasade Odoro, confirmed the arrival of the Hammed Bello-led panel in the state to newsmen in Osogbo.
Idris had appointed Bello, the Commissioner in charge of Military Police at the Force Headquarters, to head the panel.The panel is to look into the immediate and remote causes of the clash and submit its findings to the police authorities for appropriate action to prevent future occurrence of the incident.
The team is expected to visit leaders of the ethnic groups involved in the conflict as well as pay courtesy visit on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his palace, and other stakeholders in the city.
Odoro told newsmen that detectives were still on the trail of some suspected culprits, adding that 10 persons have been arrested and were assisting the police in their investigation.