The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), has denied its involvement in the recent crisis that led to the death of four persons in the Ajase-Ipo area of Kwara State.

The State Coordinator of the Congress, Comrade Ganiyu Oladipupo who stated this in a statement issued over the weekend insisted that his members were not part of the crisis.

Oladipupo described as arrant lies the statement by the Kwara state Chairman of the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association, Alli Mohammed Jounwiro that the OPC killed nine of his members.

He said the crisis had started earlier between Yoruba and Fulani in the town before the attack on the OPC members that were returning from the Osun Osogbo festival.

“The Fulani transferred their usual aggressions to the OPC when a stray cow in the Kaara Market along the road damaged the side mirror of one of the 20 vehicles conveying our members that were returning from the Osun Osogbo festival to the state.

“Knowing that the buses conveying our members have been stuck in the gridlock, the Fulani cow dealers deliberately attacked the bus with various weapons.

“The reports, according to the Kwara State Police spokesperson, Okasanmi Ajayi showed clearly that the OPC was never part of the crisis.

“However, some of our members that sustained injuries in the course of the crisis have been receiving treatment at the hospital.

“The leader of the Kwara State cow dealers was trying to hide the truth in order curry favour from the public. He lied that OPC members killed nine of his members alleging also that our members made away with several millions of naira during the fracas.

“Our members travelled along the same Ajase-Ipo Road when they were going to Osogbo to celebrate the Osun Osogbo festival without causing any crisis.

“Why is it that the whole story changed as they were returning from Osogbo? They were attacked by the irate Fulani cow dealers who see the OPC as the only threat to their long-term agenda,” the statement read in part.

The OPC Coordinator also explained that the Yoruba in Kwara State have been relating peacefully with the Hausa/Fulani until recently when it was alleged that the excesses of the Fulani in the state are becoming unbearable.

“As much as the Kaara Ajase- Ipo incident was most unfortunate, it also showed the excesses of the Fulani cow dealers who think they are at liberty to kill and maim without recourse to the law,” he said.

Oladipupo said that though peace had been restored to the area, it is important to state that the OPC is a peaceful organisation that has been going about its cultural promotion activities peacefully without any hitch.

“Nobody has the monopoly to attack and kill. What the Fulani cow dealers did in Kwara that led to the death of four people was very unfortunate and shows their conquering spirit,” he added. (Sunday Independent)

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