Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Sunday visited the scene of ethnic conflict in Shasha community, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The two governors met with the leaders of the Yoruba and Hausa communities and appealed to them to live in unity.
Recall that several people reportedly died in a clash triggered by the fatal stabbing of a Yoruba cobbler by a Hausa cart pusher in Shasha market, Ibadan, after it degenerated into an ethnic conflict.
To forestall breakdown of law and order in the market and its environs, Mr Makinde on Saturday imposed an indefinite curfew in the area.
Speaking during the visit on Sunday, the governor pledged to give palliatives to those whose wares were affected during the crisis.
His Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, in a statement seen by Money Central quoted his principal saying: “Please, I want you to listen to me clearly. You cannot resort to self-help to solve the issue on the ground. All of you who are here are doing business with one another in one way or the other. The last time I came here, about six weeks ago, some shops belonging to Hausa and Yoruba people got burnt.
“So, you have been living together peacefully and all I am pleading to you is, no matter what is making anyone angry, we will solve it with patience. I was reluctant to declare curfew here because I feel the economic wellbeing of everyone here is important, and because this is where you get what you use to feed yourselves.
“I will engage with your leaders this evening. One thing is, if you allow those who don’t have anything to lose here to blow this matter out of proportion, no one will be able to say where the crisis will end. By the grace of God, I pray we don’t lose any more lives.
“We must not lose any life needlessly anymore. What the government will do to ensure that those whose houses, shops were burnt, we will rebuild immediately. “But please, I beg of you, let us stop fighting with ourselves. I can assure you that we will deal with the situation.”