Ife crisis: Afenifere accuses Police of sectionalism, demands N1bn damages from Federal Government

*Afenifere has taken Ile-Ife crisis to court and asking for ₦1,000,000,000 damages

*The group questions the police integrity in the treatment of the case after arresting 21 people

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group had on Tuesday, April 11 launched a lawsuit against the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the detention of 21 suspects in connection with the occurrence of ethnic crisis in Ile-Ife, requesting for ₦1 billion compensation.

Ile-Ife Crisis' suspects paraded by police

The crisis was between some native of Ife, Osun State and Hausa-Fulani settlers within the town.

According to Nigerian Tribune, In the suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/S/3/2017 with a 10-paragraph affirmation in the originating summon, Afenifere stated that: “The sum ₦1, 000,000,000 damages for the unlawful and unconstitutional arrest and detention of the applicants individually and collectively; for the psychological and emotional trauma that their families are being subjected to for almost one months and for the unlawfully parading them as common criminals without filing any charge against them talk less of trial or conviction.”

Tellforceblog got some information that it also prayed the court to pronounce their detentions as unlawful and unconstitutional, further stating that their arrest was “an unlawful violation of the applicants constitutionally guaranteed and protected right to dignity of human person and presumption of innocence under sections 34 and 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) for the respondents, either by themselves or through their agents, officers, howsoever described, to parade the applicants as common criminals to both print and electronic media houses, when they have not been charged to court and convicted of any criminal offence.”

Recall that Afenifere had earlier complained and alleged the police has been taking side in handling the case.

The Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odumakin, had earlier issued a statement on March 28, 2017, condemning the parade by the police and trial of the suspects in Abuja, contending that they should be brought back to Osun State for hearing.

Odumakin said Afenifere condemned the arrangements of the police, specifically the arrest of only Yoruba people, leaving the other tribes involved in the crisis and accused the police of being biased and sectionalism in the manner it handled the issue based on the directive from above.

He said: “Afenifere becomes worried with the way the police handled the Ife crisis, especially considering the fact that the leadership of the presidency and that of the police are from one of the sections involved in the crisis.

“The police intimidated, harassed and embarrassed the Yoruba people of Ile-Ife. They arrested some Yoruba people in the town and even pronounced them guilty without any trial. “Up till now, the suspects are not arraigned, neither were they tried, yet the police pronounced them guilty.

“The police remain a federal institution which is for all Nigerians regardless of tribe or ethnic affiliation. The police should not be seen as an institution for a particular ethnic group, as we are being made to understand through their actions now.”