Ife mayhem: Adebanjo, Bode George, Bucknor-Akerele decry parade of only Yoruba suspects

PROMINENT Yoruba leaders, including chieftain of pan- Yoruba socio- political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; former deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George and former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Kofoworola Burknor-Akerele, have decried the parade in Abuja of 22 Yoruba suspects that were arrested aftermath of the Yoruba/Fulani crisis that left many dead and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

The leaders, who spoke in separate interviews with Tribune Online, cautioned the Federal Government–led by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the one-sided parade as unfair and an invitation to further conflagration if not properly handled.

This was just as Adebanjo, who saw the parade as demonstration of oppression against the Yoruba, reinforced his call for restructuring of the country, where State Police would be allowed to take care of security of each state of the Federation.

Adebanjo, who said it was obvious that oppressors now live amongst the Yoruba as the way the Ife crisis had been handled so far, wondered why the suspects arrested in connection with the incident had to be taken to Osogbo, the nearest and Abuja, whereas none of such was done respect of genocidal killings done in Southern Kaduna and Benue State.

“That is the case we are making for restructuring of the country. State Police must be responsible for each state, but they are saying no. They don’t want restructuring so that they can continue to use the police to oppress the areas that are obstacle to them.

“It just shows the deprave nature of this government and we are under a wrong administration. And the earlier we settle this entire thing the better,” he said.

“How can you parade people who have been offended, so who attacked are now left free. It is just unfair,” he lamented.

Chief George, who also reacted to the one- sided parade, while also condemning the action, urged key operators in the ailing President Buhari administration to exercise caution so that the country was not set ablaze.

“What you have said about parading these people, I haven’t read it but I would say emphatically, kadan kada o, die die o, wayo wayo, I beg o. Things that would conflagrate this country, we must avoid with passion. Parading some people and saying this is that has very severe tribal linkages and we cannot afford that at this point in time.

“Oga (Buhari), that is the big boss, has requested that his people should give him time to rest, you know he is not feeling too well, we cannot add any more wahala. And 1962, 1963, 1964 crises although look like issues of over 50 years ago, we were young and active then, we were running around then. Mushin was part of Western Region and when you heard of Wetie, Mushin was close to Lagos then. So I beg o. All those who are now helping oga must go slowly o, let’s do it in a manner that would not trigger any suspicions tribally.

“I haven’t read the detail but they should just be doing it kadan kada. They could do their investigation; they don’t need to do parade because if the people don’t believe in it, it can end into something.

“If you finish your investigation, you can convince the people. Anything tribally oriented now is not good, either you parade Hausa people, Ibo people, Yoruba people, we are like sitting on some kind of keg of gunpowder,” he said.

“Politically, that is not wise. And I want to appeal to the IGP that to parade one tribe is not sensible. People would read whatever meaning. The interpretation would go beyond the level we can control, it is not palatable. Nigeria is an heterogeneous state,” Chief George warned.

Also speaking, the former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Buknor- Akerele, said the manner of parade, contending that doing a parade of suspects before trial was wrong.

Besides, she said doing one- sided parade was even worse, recalling that the altercation in which lives were lost and properties destroyed involved both Yorubas and Hausas.

“First of all, I think it is wrong to do parading of suspects in any case before trial, and worse thing, I think it is even more wrong to parade one side. This was an altercation that involved those Yorubas and Hausas,” she said, querying, “Are you saying it is only the Yoruba that were involved?”

The former deputy governor said what the police was doing was dangerous and amounted to fanning ember of ethnic strive.

“So I think it is very dangerous what the police are doing and fanning the ember of ethnic strive. They should stop it. The Yoruba are already objecting because we know both sides were involved and, therefore, they should not actually bring only side to trial, they should bring everybody who is involved,” Bucknor-Akerele said.