After Xmas day violence: Uneasy calm pervades Bwari
With the tentative return of peace to Bwari, after the Christmas day violence that left some people killed and many others injured, visits the FCT community to acertain what happened and efforts to re-establish peace.
Daily Trust on Sunday
The traditional heads in Bwari have been trading blames over the crisis that claimed three lives and led to the burning of the major market in the town.
Several shops and business places that lined the road where the Etsu of Bwari, Ibrahim Yaro and Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Muhammad Musa Ijakoro reside were also burnt.
The ruins of several motorcycles, other vehicles and shops still litter some parts of the hitherto peaceful community.
Though deployment of military personnel has doused the tension, there are strong indications that the last may not have been heard of the crisis.
In an effort to stabilize the situation, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has also imposed a curfew from 6pm to 6am in the area while heavily armed soldiers, Department of State Security officials are stationed at strategic locations and also patrol the area.
Mobile police officers also conduct stop and search routine on vehicles at several checking points especially at some entry and exit points to the community.
A fire truck was also stationed opposite the burnt market though smoke was still rising from the ruins on Thursday when our reporters visited. Everywhere was calm while traders attempted to pick the remains from their shops.
Three people were reported killed while about ten were injured with over 200 shops burnt and millions of naira lost to the crisis which started on Christmas Eve. The exact cause of the violence is yet to be ascertained though several people said it could be connected to a chieftaincy tussle in the area.
There has always been a cold war between the Sarkin Bwari and Etsu Bwari since the former was promoted to a second class chief during the Abacha regime.
At the demise of the Sarkin of Bwari, Alhaji Musa Ijakoro, on August 29, 2017, the Gbagyis had hoped the Etsu would be recognised as the substantive chief in the community, but the Federal Capital Territory Administration in November appointed the son of the late Ijakoro as the new sarki. Deaths The 17th Etsu of Bwari, Ibrahim Yaro, said two of his subjects were killed in the violence.
“One of my sons was coming back from church when he was attacked and stabbed by a Hausa man. I was called and informed that that was what happened and I asked my people not to do anything,” he said.
Yaro said the violence escalated when relatives of the deceased were trying to bury the corpse.
“On Monday morning we wanted to go and bury the boy that was stabbed. As they were going, they were attacked around the General Hospital. That was how the crisis started,” he said.
He said the crisis was not between two rival cult groups neither could he confirm if it was related to the chieftaincy tussle.
“If it was the chieftaincy issue, we were the ones who are supposed to be looking for trouble and not them. As you know in Bwari, we have two kings in one chiefdom which is not supposed to be,” he said.
“I am not saying that it was the chieftaincy title that led to the crisis but people are just saying it was because of the chieftaincy that my son was stabbed to death but there is no way there will be two captains on one ship,” he said.
A resident, Aliyu Bala, alleged that one of the legislators at the area council of Gbaygi descent instigated the crisis, adding that the person was among those hurling stones at some Hausa residents in the area during the violence.
Bala alleged that the some thugs had, prior to the crisis, been going to the legislator’s house to drink some concoction and collect charms.
According to him, majority of the thugs that perpetrated the act were mostly strangers. He also accused the police of negligence as they were informed about the plan of some people to cause mayhem in the area.
He said the crisis has nothing to do with the chieftaincy tussle, but rather started when some Gbagyi youth allegedly attacked some Hausas, who knew nothing about what was happening.
Another resident, who simply identified himself as Garba, alleged that despite soldiers and other security being deployed, some of the thugs still went ahead with covert attacks on Hausa shop and property owners.
But the Etsu of Bwari refuted these allegations, saying, “I called my people and told them they should leave everything to God until they were attacked. Everything they said we did, it is a lie, they were the ones,” he said.
He said the Gbaygis only used stones as they tried to escape when they were attacked on Monday morning, adding that seven people of Gbaygi descent were injured in the violence.
No Connection to chieftaincy stool
Both traditional rulers have however appealed to their subjects to be peaceful adding that violence cannot help the situation.
While both sides are at pains to explain that the crisis has nothing to do with the chieftaincy dispute, stock taking is going on.
The Etsu Bwari explains the steps being taken saying, “I am just returning from a peace and security meeting. Since this thing happened, I have not been myself because to kill a human being, regardless of our differences, it is painful. I feel sad.”
The Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Muhammad Musa Ijakoro, on his part, described the incident as unfortunate.
He denied the crisis had any link with the chieftaincy tussle, while he called on residents of the council to live in peace with each other irrespective of their tribal, ethnic and religious affiliations.
“It was unfortunate for such a thing to have happened, which is the first time in the history of Bwari. I want to state categorically that this incident has nothing to do with the chieftaincy matter,” he said.
The traditional ruler said security personnel were still investigating the incident, even as he regretted that the incident might have affected the usual homage being paid to chiefdom due to loss of property.
Our brothers were not cultists deceased families
Meanwhile the families of the deceased have appealed to the police to allow them bury their dead as they do not have money to pay for mortuary fees.
Mercy Philips Gajere, elder sister to Wisdom, who was stabbed while returning from Church early Monday morning, said her brother was not a cultist as being speculated.