TheCable

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, says Shasha market in Ibadan, the state capital, will remain closed until residents prove that they have eschewed violence.

The governor ordered that the market be shut down and imposed a curfew on its surrounding areas on Friday following a fatal conflict.

Addressing the residents when he led a delegation of northern governors to the area on Tuesday, Makinde said if the traders do not cooperate, the market will remain shut.

The governor urged the residents to trust his government to handle the situation adequately.

“They (the northern governors) just finished a meeting with the Seriki of Shasha and the Baale of Shasha. As a government you trust and elected into office, please trust our judgement to watch out for you and ensure that we co-exist peacefully,” Makinde said.

“There is nothing we can do in an atmosphere of unrest and disharmony. Those who go to Iroko to continue trading, I will lock up the place.

“When you are all ready to cooperate, you will come to me. When you have agreed that there won’t be any more bloodshed here, you will come to me and then I will reopen the market. I beg you. We won’t lose any more lives.”

The governor said on Monday that a judicial panel will be set up to look into the conflict and ensure that justice is served.

He added that peace and security committees will be set up in every zone of the state to help with the resolution of conflicts between residents.