The Oodua Peoples Congress and the Fulani
traders who were alleged to be in the middle of last Friday’s bloody clash in
Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun Local Government area of Kwara State have denied
instigating the clash.
While reacting on Saturday to the bloody clash
between cow dealers and members of the OPC at Kaara market in Ajasse-Ipo, state
chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, Alhaji Alli-Mohammed
Jounwuro claimed that 9 people were killed by the OPC members in the incident
while 450 cows were lost.
Ali Mohammed alleged that while many people
were injured in the bloody clash, over N6m was stolen by the OPC members in the
clash.
He appealed to the State Government and
security agencies to check the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, members from taking
the law into their hands.
However, Coordinator of the Oodua People’s
Congress in Kwara state, Comrade Ganiyu Oladipupo, described as unfortunate the
crisis leading to the death of four persons in Ajase-Ipo area of the state,
saying his members were not part of the crisis.
He described as lies the statement by
Jounwuro that the OPC killed 9 of his members.
Oladipupo said the crisis had started
earlier between Yoruba and the Fulani in the town before the attack on the OPC
members that were returning from the grand finale of Osun festival held in
Osogbo last Friday.
“The Fulani transferred their usual
aggressions to the OPC, when a stray cow in the Kaara market along the road
damaged the side mirror of one of the 20 vehicles conveying our members that were
returning from Osun Osogbo festival to the state.
“Knowing that the buses conveying our
members have been stuck in the gridlock,the Fulani Cow- dealers deliberately
attacked the bus with various weapons.
“The reports, according to the Kwara State
Police Spokesperson, Okasanmi Ajayi, showed clearly that the OPC was never part
of the crisis.
“However, some of our members that
sustained injuries in the course of the crisis have been receiving treatment at
the hospital.
“The leader of the Kwara State cow dealers
was trying to hide the truth in order curry favour from the public. He lied
that the OPC members killed nine of his members alleging also that our members
made away with several millions of naira during the fracas.
“Our members travelled along the same
Ajase-Ipo road when they were going to Osogbo to celebrate the Osun Osogbo
festival without causing any crisis.
“Why is it that the whole story changed as
they were returning from Osogbo? They were attacked by the irate Fulani cow
dealers who see the OPC as the only threat to their long term agenda.
“The Yoruba in Kwara state have been
relating peacefully with the Hausa/Fulani untill recently when they alleged
that the excesses of the Fulani in the state are becoming unbearable.
“As much as the Kaara Ajase-Ipo incident
was most unfortunate, it also showed the excesses of the Fulani cow dealers who
think they are at liberty to kill and maim without recourse to the law.”
Oladipupo said that though peace had been
restored to the area, it was important to clarify that the OPC is a peaceful
organisation that has been going about its cultural promotion activities
peacefully without any hitch.
“Nobody has the monopoly to attack and
kill. What the Fulani cow dealers did in Kwara that led to the death of four
people was very unfortunate and shows their conquering spirit,” Oladipupo said.
Meanwhile, the state Police Command said
that it recovered four unidentified liveless bodies from the scene of the clash
at Kaara market, Ajase-Ipo on Friday night.
The Command’s Spokesperson, Ajayi Okasanmi,
said that normalcy had returned to the area adding that every barrier created
as a result of the clash had been cleared.
Okasanmi, however, could not confirm if any
arrest had been made in connection with the clash.
PUNCH