The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has warned Yoruba groups
\nincluding the Afenifere over comments credited to the latter over the
\nrecent killings in Ile-Ife, Osun state.<\/p>\n
A clash between the Hausa community and the indigenes of Ile-Ife on March
\n8, 2017 led to the death of some Nigerians, most of them reportedly from
\nthe north.<\/p>\n
The Nigeria police had waded into the crisis and arrested some people.
\nHowever, some Yoruba groups have kicked saying that only Yorubas were
\narrested.<\/p>\n
The leader of the AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, said the comments from the
\nYoruba groups amounted to a gang-up to harass and intimidate the courts
\nand the police from investigating and punishing those found guilty so that
\na repeat of the sad episode would be avoided.<\/p>\n
“We take exception to those marauders who are hiding behind ethnic
\numbrella and are desperately trying to pervert the course of justice.<\/p>\n
“We are cautioning them to tread carefully so that their latest action
\nwould not provoke reprisal attacks, because this is an important period in
\nthe history of this nation, when all compatriots are working hard to
\naddress the multiple challenges confronting the nation, economically,
\npolitically and socially,” AYCF said.<\/p>\n
The northern group reminded the Afenifere that the Hausas have displayed
\nmaturity by not going after the millions of Yoruba citizens doing business
\nin their region.<\/p>\n
“This is a demonstration of respect for the rule of law and not cowardice.
\nWe are aware that no one has the monopoly of violence or creating hot-air
\nballoons in order to cover up an organized attack on people doing
\nlegitimate business in any party of our country.<\/p>\n
“We watched with dismay, how the Afenifere is beginning to fan the embers
\nof hatred against the victims and creating heroes out of the attackers.
\nThis amounts to a subtle ethnic cleansing campaign and we wish to warn
\nAfenifere and its paymasters to shun such a dangerous act.<\/p>\n
“It was unfortunate that a few loquacious Yoruba sons have joined the
\nbandwagon by shouting to the roof tops, in a calculated attempt to
\ndissuade the courts and law enforcement agencies from doing the needful.<\/p>\n
“For the records, one-time vice presidential candidate in the 2007
\nelections, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has launched a negative campaign against
\nthe Nigerian police for detecting and carrying out the arrest of prime
\nsuspects in the clash. Other tribal champions include Femi Fani-Kayode;
\nand the Yoruba Youth Council (YYC), which bought airtime on Channels TV,
\njust to condemn the arrest of the suspects,” AYCF said.<\/p>\n
AYCF added: \u201cLet the Afenifere and their fellow collaborators in this
\nmassive cover-up campaign bear in mind that we, the Northerners, are
\nwatching and if we were not law-abiding, we would have followed the same
\npath of ethnic antagonism and defending the indefensible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can only stress that this is a crucial moment in the history of this
\nnation and the most important thing is how to move forward in all spheres
\nby shunning acts capable of breeding large-scale violence in the North in
\nthe name of reprisal attacks<\/p>\n
\u201cTo make matters worse, it is in the news that Afenifere has hired eight
\nSANS who have. s is unacceptable and the Nigerian law knows no sacred
\ncows, whoever breaks the law must be made to face the consequences of his
\ndeeds, no matter how highly placed. No amount of media propaganda should
\nbe allowed to make the innocent people killed in Ile-Ife to look like
\nsacrificial lambs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urge the Nigerian judiciary to let justice take its full course and
\nignore the ranting of tribal jingoists, masquerading as champions of
\nethnic cleansing agenda.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is now evident that Afenifere has openly endorsed the killings,
\nespecially as they were all quiet when the killings were going on and
\nshamelessly came out after the arrests by security agents have been made.
\nLet this be last time anyone would be shielded for killing fellow citizens
\nin the name of ethnic or tribal agenda. We have had enough of this
\nrubbish.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has warned Yoruba groups including the Afenifere over comments credited to the latter over the recent killings in Ile-Ife, Osun state. A clash between…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":57009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n