Oyo Govt Moves to Restore Calm After Deadly Ojoo Clash

…Deputy Gov. orders investigation and warns against actions capable of fuelling tribal tension.

Oyo State Government has moved to restore calm in the Ojoo area of Akinyele Local Government Area following a violent clash that reportedly claimed two lives.

Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Bayo Lawal, made this known during an on-the-spot assessment visit to the affected community, where he appealed to the warring youth groups to embrace peace and refrain from actions capable of escalating the crisis.

Lawal warned that the government would not tolerate any form of unrest capable of creating tribal tension or disrupting the peace and security of the state.

He noted that security operatives deployed to the area had brought the situation under control and were working to prevent further violence.

The Deputy Governor assured residents that the state government would conduct a thorough investigation into both the immediate and remote causes of the clash, stressing that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.

He also cautioned against giving criminal acts ethnic or tribal coloration, maintaining that the government remains committed to protecting lives and property irrespective of ethnic or social affiliations.

A youth representative in the community appealed to the government to engage leaders of the affected groups to broker lasting peace, warning that failure to address the crisis could trigger reprisal attacks.

Reports indicate that tension erupted in Ojoo on Tuesday evening following a clash between some scavengers, popularly known as “Bowler Boys”, and traders in the area, with eyewitnesses confirming that two persons reportedly lost their lives.