By Bala Ibrahim

It has been repeatedly argued by Nigerians with sufficient sense of patriotism that unless people from different ethnic groups in the country desist from giving every sensitive national issue ethno-religious coloration, the much needed, but consistently elusive national unity, without which no enduring development will be achieved, will remain a mirage.

This phenomenon of ethnic interpretation and positioning of sensitive national issues, which elites from different divides of the country are almost equally guilty of, has wreaked  untold havoc in the social, political and economic life of Nigeria as a nation and Nigerians as a people. Thus, most of the crises that had historically enveloped the country would either have been avoided or minimized, if various stakeholders in the Nigerian project had exercised needed restraint. If for any reason, we had in the past seen the wisdom of recognizing the futilities of being a nation perpetually at war with itself, we would have long ago transcended the level we are today. With more than 50 years of political independence and more than sixteen years of continuous democratic practice, we should lay less emphasis on primordial sentiments as the sole instrument for national political interaction.

It is against this backdrop that whoever loves this country, must call on those accusing the Nigeria Police of ethnic bias in the crisis between the Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile-Ife recently, to exercise restraint for national unity. About three weeks ago, there was what many see as a deadly clash between the Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ile Ife, Osun State. Based on the media reports, both communities recorded some casualties.

Of course, it is the statutory business of the police not only to intervene to put an end to such a violent clash, but also to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the trouble, and make arrests, relying on available information. This is precisely what the Nigeria Police did in the Ile-Ife crisis. But, in the course of the arrests, most victims of the arrest turned out to be people from the Yoruba community. Expectedly, this development has been perceived by the Yoruba communities as a deliberate attempt by the Nigeria Police to hold the Yoruba only responsible, for an offense they jointly committed with the Hausa community. Unfortunately, the perceived bias in the arrests appears to be overshadowing the quick and professional manner in  which the police put an end to the crisis. This aspect of the crisis is fundamental.

Looking at it holistically, one will tend to subscribe to the fact that the Nigeria Police deserves some praises for its quick intervention. Observers of various ethno-religious crises in the early 80s to 90s will attest to the fact that, the failures of the authority to carry out quick interventions resorted to deadly reprisals, which led to the killings of innocent Nigerians from different ethnic groups in the country. These then, further weakened the already fragile polity. Those conscious enough to know what happened and how the reprisals of Shagamu Hausa-Yoruba riot and that of Yelwan Sheldam Hausa-Birom riots affected national unity, will no doubt give the Nigeria Police a pat on the back, for nipping the recent Ife crisis in the bud, thereby averting the usual deadly reprisals.

Let us for once commend the police for responding quickly, to what would have led to a major national disaster. We know of riotous situations in the history of this country, when after 48 hours of commencement of crisis, no single policeman was seen at the scene of the crisis. But here, in Ife, the police intervened not long after the commencement of the trouble.

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Beside their physical intervention at the scene of the clash, reports have shown how the police high command, had mobilized the force throughout the country on a red alert, to forestall situations of large scale reprisals nationwide. Here again, we are not oblivious of how outbreaks of law and order are encouraged by trouble makers, who rely on this kind of situation to perpetrate the killings of innocent Nigerians. Also, the Nigeria Police did not give these unpatriotic elements the opportunity to do this. I think the holistic condemnation of the police based on perceived lopsided arrests, as if no commendable steps were taken is, to say the least, calling a spade by different name.

Concerning the said lopsided arrest brouhahas, we must face the reality of how police does its work, especially as it relates to investigations. I am not a policeman, but my experience as an observer, has clearly shown that no responsible police organization will consciously descend on one of two parties involved in a crime. So, I tend to subscribe to the fact that what happened in this case could be accidental rather been premeditated. Thus, those arrested in Hausa-Yoruba crisis are most likely to be those pointed by the investigation to be responsible for the riot. On this note, I agree with the Inspector General of Police that crime has no tribal marks, therefore, the Nigeria police couldn’t have arrested these people simply because they are Yorubas.

I am strongly of the opinion that no matter how strong anyone feels about this crisis, the police are still in a better position to know who is largely responsible for the crisis. The police are also in better position to know who will help in unraveling the real perpetrators of mayhem. So what I think is paramount at this point in time is to allow the issue to be handled to a logical conclusion.

One would not have worried about all these police trial in the media over the so-called lopsided arrests if those involved are not those whose position has not entitled them to know the internal mechanism of police system. Notwithstanding this, one is happy to note that a number of those crucifying the police for lopsided arrests carry out their criticism with decorum. This is why I agree with the Oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, that this issue requires absolute carefulness, even though he is also of the opinion that the arrest is lopsided.

Looking at it from the perspective of the implications it may have on national unity, we must be careful not to allow the issue to descend to the level of national crisis, and allow police to do its work. For we need to be reminded of the fact that the more we try to make this so-called lopsidedness a regular media issue, the more we awaken the consciousness of those whose relations were killed in the riot. And the continuation of repeated media talks about the riot months after it happened, may attract reactions which will be an ill wind that blows no one any good.

What Nigeria needs at this point is a united front to confront the contemporary problems of our fathers’ land. So, enough of media trial of the police.

Ibrahim writes from Abuja