By Musa Baba Adamu
Indigenes and residents of Ile-Ife and Modakeke communities in Osun State have been urged to be wary of marchants of violence who plan to use the recent killing of farmers as launchpads for full scale war.
The Chief Whip of Osun State House of Assembly, Tunde Olatunji, in a statement to commiserate with Ogunsua of Modakeke and the entire people of the ancient town, lamented the ongoing misinterpretation of the killing of the farmers.
He expressed worry that some enemies of peace and progress were already relating it to another Ife-Modakeke unrest.
Recall that five farmers, on Friday morning, were found dead at Aba Alape, off Toro Road Village, Oyere in Ife North Area Council.
To this end, Tunde Olatunji urged the families of the deceased and the community to be persuaded by the account of the police and government that the gruesome killing was a criminal act perpetrated by evil people and not in anyway communal.
“I want to appeal to our people that we must be careful not to open wound that has healed over two decades ago. Those who detest peace, progress and unity of our race must not be allowed to achieve their dastardly act of taking advantage of security breach to cause discord and bloodletting on our land,” he said.
The legislator, who represents Ife North State Constituency where Toro village is located, also pleaded with the media to avoid sensation, saying “but be truthful and conscientious in their reportage of the situation as genuine agent of peace and development, noting that the consequence of false information is difficult to comprehend.
“While it may be impossible to manage that excesses of citizens journalists on social media, the account of professionals who writes for the traditional media had a great impact on what the society believed and act on”.
While commending the Ooni of Ife and the Ogunsua of Modakeke for the maturity displayed in managing the fallout of the Toro killing, Olatunji also lauded the prompt response of the police to the incident, as he pleaded with the agency to fish out the killers within the shortest possible time to douse the likelihood of any suspicion.
He also thanked the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola for responding to the situation urgently.
