Nigeria

Hausa-Yoruba clash: We won't sit back, House kicks over violence; says arsonists must be arrested

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 7:39 PM by Rahaman Abiola

- The House of Representatives has called for a prompt probe into the Shasha mayhem in Oyo

- At a plenary on Tuesday, the lower chamber urged the security agencies and government to prevent reoccurrence of a similar attack in the north

- Speaker Gbajabiamila sued for peace and similarly maintained that the arsonists must be prosecuted and penalised according to the law

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The federal House of Representatives has asked the police and other intelligence agencies to unravel the plot behind the ethic violence in Shasha community of Akinyele local government area, Oyo state with a view to prosecuting and penalising the offenders.

The call was made via a statement on Tuesday, February 16, by the speaker of the lower chamber, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila which was obtained by Legit.ng.

Hausa-Yoruba clash: House breaks silence, calls for peace, says arsonists must be arrested — Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said all hands must be on deck in order to avoid reprisal attacks. Credit: @femigbaja
Source: Twitter

Speaking on the Shasha violence and the rising spate of inter-ethnic violence in the country at Tuesday's plenary, Gbajabiamila said the House would not sit back while Nigerians are killed by their fellow countrymen.

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He said the committees on police affairs and justice have been mandated to communicate the House's position to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

Gbajabiamila also commiserated with those who lost their lives in the unfortunate incident and assured all Nigerians that the House would work, "within the powers available to us, to prevent reoccurrence of similar incidents."

Gbajabiamila further maintained that the House "owe a duty to the people we serve, to do the things we believe sincerely in our hearts can improve the circumstances of their lives."

"We will constitute a working group to participate in these consultations. We will work together to examine the cultural, religious, and localised conflicts over land and history that are often at the root of internal security challenges and violent upheavals such as occurred in Oyo state last week and other parts of the country over the years."

"Today, we serve that duty by calling on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to conduct a speedy and thorough investigation into the recent violence in Oyo State, to allow for prosecution and punishment of those who instigated and participated in the killings and destruction of property."