Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo says a judicial panel will be constituted over the mayhem that broke out last week between Hausa and Yoruba residents of Shasha community in Ibadan.

Mr. Makinde made this known in a state-wide broadcast monitored in Ibadan on Monday.

The governor added that Peace and Security Committees would equally be set up, stressing that his government would ensure that justice was served on all the victims of the mayhem.

He appealed to aggrieved residents of the area to sheathe their swords, cautioning that whenever they see the potential danger in any of their words or actions, they must take precautions.

“It is time to think about our self-preservation. It is time to put Oyo State first,” he said.

Mr. Makinde maintained that contrary to the news circulating in the social media, his administration had been able to bring the situation under control.

“The situation has been de-escalated since around 2 pm. on Saturday. A curfew had also been put in place and there has been no further unrest since then.

“I visited Shasha market and Ojoo in Akinyele Local Government Area on Sunday and I have met the people affected by the crisis.

“I am saddened by the loss of lives. I feel your pains. I understand your anger and frustrations. We will make things right.

“As I stated yesterday, I have also ordered a full investigation into the immediate cause of the crisis and I promise that all the culprits will be brought to book.

“Our administration will also be providing the needed support to ensure that those who lost their property to the mayhem are compensated.

“I mourn those who lost their lives. Even when justice is served, nothing can bring back the dead. That is why I must also state that individuals who have taken to stoking up ethnic flames in Oyo State, either through their utterances, actions or posts on social media, are enemies of our state,” he said.

The governor warned residents not to take laws into their own hands, even as he maintained that the government would deploy all the apparatus available to it to ensure justice.

He also warned individuals leveraging on the incident in the state to score political points to desist, stating that such individuals and those fanning the embers of crisis were not friends of the state. 

(NAN)