BIOLA AZEEZ of The TRIBUNE writes on the crisis that erupted two weeks ago between Yoruba and Fulani herdsmen at Alapa village in Kwara State, over grazing land.

FOLLOWING a recent communal clash between the Yoruba of Alapa community of Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State last week, residents of the area have deserted the area either as a result of being attacked by Fulani herdsmen or being arrested by the police over the loss of lives during the communal clash.

This development has been a major concern and worry among people in the area, just as there are reports of reprisals by the parties involved in the crisis.

The reason for deserting the community was not unconnected with a number of arrests already made by law enforcement agents over loss of lives in the clash.

The crisis started when the indigenes of the community attacked Fulani huts at different spots over the killing of a Yoruba man along the farm path.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the victim was allegedly attacked by Fulani cattle herdsmen last week Monday and reportedly died on the spot.

The development, which angered Yoruba indigenes in the community, made them to mobilise other people on revenge attack.

It was also gathered that the attack was carried out as many huts of Fulani across bushes in the area were burnt.

While the Kwara State police command was not ready to speak on the incident, a reliable source at the police headquarters, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confirmed that four corpses of Fulani herdsmen were evacuated from the bushes while the remains of Yoruba man allagedly killed last week Monday were also recovered by the policemen.

The source also said that several huts of Fulani herdsmen were razed down before the police intervention. Unconfirmed sources claimed that one villager and three herdsmen lost their lives to the mayhem.

The Imam of Issa Elelu mosque, Murtala Mohammed road, Ilorin, Ustaz Abubakar Waliy-Kamal, dedicated a portion of his sermon during last week's Juma'at service  to the clash between the herdsmen and the Alapa villagers.

He also said that the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, has requested the grand mufti of Ilorin, Sheikh Sofiullah Kamaldeen, to organise a special prayer to beseech God to ward off the crisis. He said the prayer would be held at Ansaru-l-Islam primary school, Okekere, Ilorin, with a view to seeking lasting solutions to the crisis.

While it was gathered that the state police command had commenced investigation into the communal clash towards finding out the remote causes of the crisis, it was also learnt from the people of the area that the reason for the clash was not unconnected with the grazing of cattle owned by the Fulani herdmen on the farmlands of the Alapa residents.

It will be recalled that crisis has always erupted in several communities in the state and in many parts of the country between Fulani herdsmen and owners of farmlands on the issue of grazing.

Speaking on the development, the Speaker of the state's House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Razaq Atunwa, described the development as regrettable more so when lives were lost and property destroyed in the communal clash.

The Speaker, who condemned the crisis in its entirety, however, said he did not know who to blame on the "minor and inconsequential matter".

"The police have been on top of the situation. They have made some arrests and took action to curtail any further recurrence.

"The executive governor has also directed a committee headed by the SSG to handle the matter towards scaling down the tension. I am also grateful to the Emir of Ilorin for taking an active role at reducing the tension and finding lasting solution to the matter.

"I must also mention efforts of the chairman of Asa Local Government Area, who was there from the break of the violence, while I have also been involved in speaking with stakeholders and various heads of different communities to end the crisis.

"Beyond that, over an hour ago, I met with the Commissioner of Police in the state. He came here to discuss the matter with me on the way forward. Since the issue started, we thank God there has been very limited reprisals.

"However, people are now beginning to be scared whenever they see police presence. They believe police have come to arrest them without justification. A number of villages are being deserted. This has been giving me concern. In fact, villages in my ward are being deserted. I have asked the CP to see to it and that police presence should not be done in a way to scare people away and there should be proper sensitisation of the people of the area on why the police are monitoring and patrolling the area," he added.