… Residents accuse security agencies of compromise
The duo of Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Honourable, Yakubu Danladi and the Minister of Youth Development, Hon. Jamilah Bio, have been fingered for not intervening in the bloodbath amid a severe communal crisis between the Yorubas and Barubas in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Baruten Local Government Area is the hometown of the two public figures, while the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly hails from Gwarana, the Minister of Youth Minister is an indigene of Gure community.
Findings
This development, according to gory pictures and videos obtained from the scenes of the incident has claimed several properties worth millions and bloodbath with some residents severely injured.
It was reliably gathered that the Yoruba and Botunum-speaking dwellers of Baruten Local Government clashed over a minor disagreement which has now snowballed into an ethnic crisis between the two largest groups in the agrarian community.
The Baruten community is indigenous to the people of Baatonum, widely referred to as Bariba, and whose major occupation is farming.
In a two-minute video recording, community dwellers from both Yoruba and Baruba-speaking were seen throwing dangerous objects at each other, destroying properties worth millions, and burning houses including a fuel station.
It was learnt that over the years, the community has become a home to thousands of Yoruba settlers, many of whom have settled there for decades, engaging in different trades.
However, the Yoruba dwellers are the extraction from neighbouring communities of Shaki, Kishi in Oyo state. They are majorly traders — business men and women who deal with sales of motors and other essential commodities.
It was authoritatively gathered that the first class rulers in the community had turbaned one of the frontline Yoruba dwellers, Amuda Nafiu as the ‘Aare of Yoruba in Okuta Emirates’ and later crowned him ‘Aare Yoruba in Baruten’.
In a multiple of audio recordings exclusively obtained by THE ELITES WATCH ONLINE NEWSPAPER, the ‘Aare of Yoruba in Baruten’, Amuda Nafiu utterly condemned the attack meted on the Yoruba dwellers in the community.
Nafiu claimed that his kinsmen were integral part of the community, adding that they have helped develop Baruten through their active trades.
According to him, the Yoruba dwellers participated in every electioneering process in Baruten local government by supporting and casting their votes for all the elected representatives from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. He added that their votes and support backed the nomination of a distinguished Kure indigene who is also the Minister of Youth Development, Hon. Jamilah Bio as minister by President Bola Tinubu.
Nafiu further alleged that the silence from the Baruba speaking leaders in the community have thrown spanners to the peace moves by his kinsmen.
While expressing his dissatisfaction, the ‘Aare of Yoruba in Baruten’ said efforts have been made to involve top government officials, media agencies and security agencies alike about the unfortunate attacks.
He said, “My kinsmen under the aegis of Igbimo Agba Yoruba in Ibaruba Community have involved government officials, media houses, and the Nigerian security agencies so that normalcy can return to the community after this unfortunate attacks on us.
“Let no one call me to order to stop my activism in the interest of my people. We have been a major part of Baruten local government since time immemorial and I am not backing out and will never leave my kinsmen unprotected.
“I can authoritatively inform you that the Nigerian Army and the Police have been deployed to some parts of the area to protect our people, especially those going about their businesses and to their farms.”
Baruten Local Government Council Officials intervene
However, a top source revealed that the Baruten Local Government Authority has passed a bye-law stopping the residents from holding physical meetings pending an amicable resolution between the two parties— Yorubas and Barubas.
It was, however, gathered that some Yoruba dwellers under the aegis of Carpentry Association failed to abide by the bye-law by conducting a physical meeting thereby polarising the ongoing attacks.
The top source added the Carpentry Association meeting claimed they couldn’t comply with the bye-law due to their weekly financial contributions.
“Last Friday, the Baruten Local government authority made a bye-law stating that the two parties should not hold meeting for a period of six months because of the gory video clips and pictures circulating online from the unfortunate attacks which has occurred for some weeks until normalcy returns to the community.
“It was the members of the Carpentry Association who are mainly Yorubas that flouted the bye-law as pronounced by the local government authority. This prompted a team of Barubas to attempt to stop their meeting in a bid to enforce the bye-law. It was from there that one of the Carpentry Association members called a soldier from the Army Barrack.”
Security Agencies compromised, says dwellers
“When a team of soldiers arrived, they picked up one of the delegates of the Barubas who is also a youth leader to the Army Barrack on a motorbike. This development promoted the Barubas to also invite the police to address the matter but when the policemen left, two members of the Baruba dwellers were attacked and stoned at the venue of the meeting.
“The following day, on Saturday, the yoruba dwellers blocked the road, burnt tyres and attacked the Baruten dwellers. The Baruten dwellers retaliated and it resulted to the unfortunate crisis.
“So, instead of the security agencies especially the Nigerian Army to arrest the both parties, they were arresting only the Baruten dwellers. I think the security operatives have been compromised,” the top source from Baruba speaking community speaks angrily.
