IFE MASSARCE: MATTERS ARISING
By: Ayoola Imran | Oyo State
The ethnic clashes that occurred in Ile -
Ife on Wednesday, 8 March, 2017
between the Yorubas and Hausas is
worrisome and quite unfortunate.
Ethnic clashes have become one of the
major threats to our society. Nigeria
has become a modern Hobbesian state
where human life is valueless and
unsecured. A famous Nigerian
Musician
named Timaya once stated in his music that,
'Every day for Nigeria na so some people dey
die o.' There are many miscreants that can
send one to the early grave prematurely;
Boko Haram and their suicide bombers,
armed robbers, herdsmen and angry mob.
As of last year 2016, the clash was
between Agatus, Southern Kadunas
and the unidentified herdsmen.
Unfortunately, another violence that
broke out this year was between Ifes
and the Hausas, herdsmen with the
Gbokos and Burukus. Hypocrisy is our
problem, we feel provoked and our
pens bleed whenever our kinsmen are
tortured while we keep mum when
others outside our domain are maimed
or killed.
Herdsmen have been terrorizing fellow
Nigerians but we give less attention to
that while the Ife massacre have
generated hullabaloo on the social
media. However, social media plays a
significant role in our society while on
the other hand; it has become a major
source of insensitive report and a
threat to jeopardize the national
security.
THISDAY investigation revealed that
trouble started when a Hausa man
living at Sabo area of the town
allegedly slept with the wife of Ife man
who reportedly went berserk when he
discovered that his wife slept with the
Hausa man. The case could have been
lodged to those in authority for proper
investigation and persecution, but
lawlessness attitude of our jobless and
aggressive youths escalated it into an
orgy of violence.
Photo Credit - Dai
Those youths took law into their hands
which resulted into a wanton
destruction of many innocent lives and
properties worth of millions. It's sad
and disheartening that some hoodlums
took advantage of that to perpetrate
the inhuman acts. After watching the
tragic video on Youtube, I felt
devastated and my heart bled. I asked
myself silently; when are we going to
get rid of all sorts of this violence and
riots? When are we going to learn how
to accommodate and tolerate one
another? When are we going to
become our brothers' keepers? When
are we going to shun barbaric attitudes
and behave as educated and civilized
people?
I felt embarrassed and totally
disappointed when I came through
some illogic and irrational posts on the
social media that took side on this
issue and turned it into 'we' and 'them'
game. Some commentators turned the
issue into religious affairs that their
fellow kinsmen were maimed and killed
because they are Muslims. What a
myopic and thought provoking
statement! Is there no Muslim among
the Ifes? Why do we like linking
violence with religion? Those peddling
tribalism and religious sentiments, with
those posting hate and unpatriotic
posts, and the sharers >>>> http://www.themedia.com.ng/2017/03/ife-massarce-matters-arising.html?m=0#more