Communal War: Renewed Share/Tsaragi Hostilities Claim Five

The latest outbreak of violence between Share and Tsaragi communities in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State reportedly claimed the lives of five people on Tuesday, with the police arresting five people in connection with the incident.

In a swift reaction to the outbreak of violence in the state, Kwara State government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the two warring communities. The latest killings came while the state government was still working on the implementation of a White Paper on an earlier violent conflict between the two communities, during which lives were also lost and properties destroyed.

Sources close to the two communities claimed that the victims of the Tuesday incident were mainly Nupe from Tsaragi, who were resident at Obadare village, which belongs to Share.

Nupe write Emir

It was gathered that prior to the attack, the Nupes had written an appeal letter to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, asking for his intervention. They had claimed in the letter that they ran away from their settlement to their ancestral homeland in the wake of the earlier attack on them, during the first clash between Share and Tsaragi people.

The letter, which was signed by Issa Aliyu and Jiya Aliyu on behalf of Nupe community of Obadare, also pledged the readiness of the Nupe people to abide by the conditions of their Share hosts and asked to be allowed to return to harvest their crops. It was said that the Share people acceded to the request, which prompted the Nupes to return to Obadare, but were reportedly attacked soon after by people suspected to be from Share.

However, a source in Share community, who is also an indigene, said that the Tuesday attack was between Fulani and Tsaragi people and not between Share and Tsaragi communities. The source, who confirmed that there was no indigene of Share community among the victim of the clash, said that his people had no hand in the attack.

Govt’s reaction

Meanwhile, government has in the meantime imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the two communities following the incident. The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, in a statement made available to Vanguard, said: “No human or vehicular movement is allowed in both communities between 6pm and 7am till further notice.

“Members of both communities are urged to remain law abiding as government is committed to securing the lives and properties of all citizens and residents in the state.”

Vanguard