Awori indigenes storm Tinubu"s residence to protest maginalisation

Some Awori indigenes have stormed the Lagos residence of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to protest what they described as the marginalisation of their people in the appointment of public officials.

Bola Tinubu

The protesters said none of the Awori indigenes from their communities had been appointed into public office in the last 16 years despite their support for the Lagos State Government and Tinubu.

The group, on Sunday, urged Tinubu and the APC-led government in the state to address their complaint.

One of the leaders of the Awori, Chief Lateef Balogun, said, “I am the Ashipa of Agboyi. We have been supporting Asiwaju Tinubu since he was elected as the Lagos State governor on the platform of the defunct Alliance for Democracy. We have always done our best to ensure that his party wins elections in the state, but what we get in return is marginalisation.

“We are here today to complain over the marginalisation of our people in all levels of government. He created the 37 Local Council Development Areas for us in 2002, but the Awori were not given any position in the government. So, we are begging Tinubu to look into the matter.

“We want Awori indigenes to be elected as chairmen of the local council development areas, not outsiders.”

Another leader of the protesters, Chief Bola Onikoro, alleged that the Awori were being cheated, despite the fact they have qualified candidates.

He said, “We want peace. We, the Awori from Kosofe, Agboyi, Ojota and Isheri, want change. What we want now is that all the local government areas should be headed by our people. Our people are competent to provide quality leadership in any level of government.”

The youth leader for Ojota area of the state, Mr. Adebisi Balogun, said all the prominent positions in the LCDAs were given to non-indigenes.

A former Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Sunny Ajose, who met with the protesters, hailed their peaceful conduct and assured them that their grievances would be addressed.

Awori indigenes storm Tinubu"s residence to protest maginalisation

Two die as Fulani, Yoruba clash in Kwara

No fewer than two people reportedly died while property worth millions of naira were destroyed following a clash between Fulani traders and Yoruba natives of Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that some irate youths allegedly razed at least five vehicles and 10 motorcycles said to be owned by some Fulani people in the ensuing pandemonium.

A source, who pleaded anonymity for fear of attack, told journalists in Ilorin that the mayhem was allegedly caused by Fulani-Bororo settlers who, allegedly  flouted a rule in the area that the settlers should never bring arms, ammunition and  fighting sticks from their settlements  to market on Oro Ago market days.

He stated that some armed Fulani traders came to  the market  on Monday.

He added that the vigilance team and hunters in the area accosted them, seized the weapons from them  and later  kept them at a place in Oro Ago town.

The source said the leader of the Fulani people in the area, popularly called Serikin Fulani, surprisingly stormed the place where the ammunition were kept with his people, carted away the weapons seized by the vigilance team and handed them back to the Fulani traders.

The source said the hunters and vigilance team attempted to retrieve the re-captured weapons from the Fulani people.

According to him, violent clash erupted between the two camps, leading to a breakdown of laws and order as weapons were allegedly used freely by the warring parties.

Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said it was untrue that seven people were killed during the clash.

He claimed that two people were killed.

Okesanmi added that security operatives had restored normalcy to the area as, according to him, people have resumed normal socio-economic life and are going about their normal business unmolested.

Two die as Fulani, Yoruba clash in Kwara