Sasa Crisis: Baale Seeks Govts’ Intervention

The Baale of Sasa Community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Chief Amusa Akinade Ajani, has called the government at all levels to urgently intervene in the ongoing violent crisis in the community.

The baale urged the federal and state governments to take proactive step in restoring peace in the community before the situation generates further.

Chief Ajani said the Sasa Market was built by Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation from the United States of America, years ago, declaring that the recent clash that led to the burning of the market was unfortunate.

Ajani said: “For me, the arson that trailed the death of a cobbler in the market was misdirected and uncalled for. It is sad that the group that was responsible for the death of the man were still those going about torching houses and shops.

“It all started with the argument that ensued between a pregnant woman and an Hausa man. A cobbler who came around to pacify them was struck with an object. He died the next day and things went wild. Government should act fast.

“Those who are causing trouble are now mocking us. They said if Sasa is no longer habitable they would relocate to nearby community.

“We want an end to violence in Sasa. I have told our people to maintain peace. Nobody should engage in violence, but we want the Hausas to sheathe the sword.

“But, come to think of it, why has urgent and proactive action not been taken? Who is the government afraid of? They are beating about the bush. The people are now saying that they would relocate from Sasa to Iroko. Should we be doing this to ourselves as a people?”

Efforts to reach the Seriki Sasa for his own side of the story was abortive, but some Hausas found in the area alleged that their host community failed to relate with them amicably.

They described as untrue the allegation that they burnt several properties and destroyed goods within the market during the clash.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde; his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu; and the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, visited the Sasa Market in Ibadan, on Sunday.

Others on the entourage of the two governors included the Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Security, Mr Fatai Owoseni; Assistant Commissioners of Police; the Area Commander and some other senior police officers who were on ground to appraise the situation and met briefly with the traders and residents of the area.

The two governors decried the ugly incident and emphasised the need for peaceful cohabitation among the various groups in the land.

Both Governors Makinde and Akeredolu assured the people of the community of government’s intervention, saying that progress could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace.

One of the victims of the clash, Alhaji Musiliudeen Moliki, said: “It had never been this bad. I manage the public toilet in the market. Now the facility had been set ablaze. Property worth several millions of naira had been damaged.

“For me, a peace meeting should be called. We should all come to round table and look for way forward. Security in Nigeria is porous.

A food vendor in the market, Osuolale Monsurat, said: “My shop was burnt yesterday. My wares that perished during the attack was about N250,000. Since I got to this market eight years ago, I never experienced a thing like this in my life.

“Now our shops were burnt while we were looking helplessly. We implore the government to come to our aid as our means of livelihood have perished.”

Some members of both the Hausa and Yoruba communities were seen in clusters in their sections with the police and the military standing midway to ensure that there was no further violence.

Activities were at low ebb in the Sasa Community, as human and vehicular movements put under strict check, just as the adjoining Ojoo and Moniya communities in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state were also devoid of their usual human activities.