The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, on Friday, condemned the prosecution of only Yoruba suspects in respect of the recent clash between the Yoruba and Hausa in Shasa market of Ibadan in Oyo State.
Daily Trust reports that the Oyo State Police Command had on Thursday charged seven to court for arson and murder during the recent clash.
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Those charged before an Iyaganku Magistrate Court were Tajudeen Oladunni, 50; Saburi Lawal, 37; Ojo Joshua, 25; Adekunle Olanrewaju, 38; Olagunju James, 24; Rasaq Yahya, 32 and Olaide Olawuyi, 20 with six counts bordering on conspiracy, arson and murder.
But Afenifere fumed on Friday, expressing “total disgust” over the charging of “only seven Yoruba men over what was supposed to be a clash between Hausa and Yoruba in Shasa.”
The spokesman of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, in a statement said: “It is a tragic throwback to three years ago when only indigenes were arrested when they clashed in the ancient city.”
The group challenged the police to show more impartiality, asking: “Where are the arsonists who burnt down the Yoruba section of the market? Are Fulanis above the law?”
Afenifere stated that it is; “laughable that all the Yoruba have been charged for the death of a Yoruba man who was beaten with a charm to death by the Fulani when the fight ensued.”
It demanded a halt to what it called “selective justice that can only provoke more injustices.”
“So the question to ask the Nigeria unjust system is if it was a Yoruba vs Yoruba crisis, where then is the case of the Hausa-Fulani who have been accused by the Yoruba of attacking them and which the FG had allegedly agreed to compensate with billions of Naira,” Odumakin added.
