Yoruba socio cultural group Afenifere is mobilizing 100 lawyers to defend Ile Ife indigenes who were arrested after the recent clash between Hausa residents and Yoruba indigenes in the ancient town. Afenifere has said it is not happy that only Yorubas were arrested in the aftermath of the bloody crises which tok many lives.
In a statement, the proactive group said:
“As a first step in this regard, we have assembled a powerful team of lawyers to enforce the fundamental human rights of the 20 abducted Yoruba persons.
“It is a settled law that the investigation and trial of suspects must take place at the scene of the crime. We are appreciative of the many lawyers of Yoruba extraction who have taken up this challenge pro bono.
“The legal team will challenge this subversion of due process while political pressure continues on why two communities will be involved in a fight and only members of one community will be put on trial by a police whose leadership is of the same ethnic group with the other party in the conflict.
“We restate the fact that the Arewa group started the killings in Ife by killing a Yoruba young man. This is clearly missing in the skewed report by the police.
“We appeal to our people to be calm while we pursue the legal angle to this challenge to our pride as a people as the first step.”
Hmnnnn
Peace is just priceless