The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, has warned aggrieved youths not to take laws into their own hands following two reported deaths in the Ojoo area of Ibadan.
Mr Lawal gave the warning on Tuesday at Ojoo in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Ibadan during a visit to have an on-the-spot assessment of property destroyed following a violent clash between members of the Yoruba and Hausa communities.
The deputy governor, who arrived the scene shortly after security operatives had brought the situation under control, asserted that every Nigerian, irrespective of ethnic background, was free to reside anywhere in the country.
Mr Lawal said the state government would not allow hoodlums to turn the incident into a tribal war.
He added that the government would do everything within its power to arrest and prosecute those involved in the clash.
He urged the people to allow security agencies to carry out their investigations and get to the root of the crisis
An eyewitness, John Ezekiel, said that the crisis started on Tuesday night following a disagreement between a Point of Sale (POS) operator and a Hausa man, living in the area.
It was reported that the misunderstanding between the two men led to fisticuffs that claimed the the POS operator’s life.
News of the operator’s death sparked outrage on Wednesday morning as some youths staged a protest which turned violent and resulted in the death of a teenager.
The clash between the two ethnic groups escalated to the burning of property before the arrival of security operatives.
(NAN)
