•Govt imposes curfew •Many injured, cars, houses touched
The Osun State government yesterday slammed a two-day curfew on Ile-Ife, following a violent clash that claimed 10 lives.
The government also deployed massive security to curtail what it described as “breach of the peace in the area which has led to avoidable destruction of lives and property”.
It said the curfew, which began yesterday from 6pm to 7am, would be in force till tomorrow.
It was gathered 10 people might have been killed and many injured in the clash, which started on Tuesday.
The violence continued yesterday in Sabo, where the Ooni’s palace is.
About 30 vehicles and many houses were burnt in the area.
A fight between two people – a man and a woman – of different tribes over who to sweep the front of a stall, reportedly ignited the crisis on Tuesday.
The husband of the woman allegedly challenged the man, who was said to have made fun of him.
The crisis worsened yesterday as daggers, cutlasses, axes, guns and other weapons were freely used.
Before the police arrived, the clash had extended to Oduduwa College Street and Moore on Ikesa Road and Lagere, the commercial nerve centre of Ife.
Though the casualty figure could not be confirmed, investigation showed the police deployed to the scene reportedly carried a number of bodies in their vehicles to an unidentified hospital.
It was learnt that the first batch of police patrol that came were stoned by an angry mob before reinforcement arrived.
It took the efforts of soldiers and policemen to bring the situation under control.
They reportedly fired several bullets to disperse the mob.
Policemen and soldiers were patrolling major streets in the town.
Ife indigenes yesterday protested at the Ooni’s palace.
Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who called for calm, appealed to the people not to take laws in their hands.
He warned that anyone caught would be punished.
As at 4pm yesterday, shops and markets at Sabo and Lagere were closed.
Some pupils took refuge at the Ooni’s palace. Parents were advised through a radio broadcast to go to there for their wards.
The government said it has deployed security forces to the scene of the crisis.
A statement from the office of the governor, signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, assured of the readiness of the security forces to quell the face off.
It was gathered that the clash was between factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), Abuja branch and Ile-Ife branch.
Sarun of Ile Ife Chief Yemi Oriowo said an Hausa man slapped the wife of NURTW Vice-President (name withheld), which led to a free-for-all.
Police spokesman Folasade Odoro said the police were on top of the situation.
He said peace has restored to the town and warned that anybody caught fomenting trouble would be prosecuted.
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