Ile-Ife crisis was not between Yorubas and Hausas

Ile-Ife crisis was not between Yorubas and Hausas – FG

– The federal government has said the recent clash between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile-Ife had no ethnic connotations

– This was the position of the minister of Interior, General Abdulramaan Dambazau (rtd)

– Dambazau disclosed this to state house correspondents over the weekend

The federal government has said the recent clash between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile-Ife had no ethnic connotations.

Ile-Ife crisis has no link to ethnicity - Dambazau

Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd)

This was the postion of the minister of Interior, General Abdulramaan Dambazau (rtd) who spoke to state house correspondents over the weekend, Leadership reports.

Dambazau had earlier visited the troubled community to get first hand information about the clash.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola visited the scene of the clash

READ ALSO: El-Rufai warns Hausas against retaliating in Ile-Ife

He appealed to the various stakeholders to eschew violence while assuring that government was handling the matter and all the culprits will be brought to book.

His words: “I was able to visit Ife yesterday on my arrival from South Africa where I went in company of minister of foreign affairs to discuss with South African government on the issue pertaining to xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.

“So, when I came back, I decided to move straight to Ife, yesterday because what occurred in Ife happened while we were away.

“The deputy governor of Osun state received us because the governor was away here in Abuja for the NEC meeting.

“We went straight to communities where this crisis occurred and we saw the extent of damage and we met the leaderships of the communities and we discussed with them. It is very clear that this issue is not about crisis between Hausa community and Yoruba community in Ife.”

READ ALSO: Yoruba groups call for caution over Ife/Hausa crises

He said the Hausa community has been living in Ife for close to 200 years as the first settlers arrived there in 1820 noting that these are about the fourth, fifth generations of the community and they have never experienced this kind of crisis.

Meanwhile, a ZENITHBLOG.com journalist who traveled to Ile-Ife to ascertain the true state of things, gathered that the Hausas suffered more damages than their Yoruba counterparts.

Majority of the shops and houses that were pulled down belong to Yorubas, but were occupied by the Hausas where they trade and live.