‘It’s time to identify criminals hiding under pretence of masquerade commit crime,’ – Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative

The Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative THURIST has reacted to the report of brutality and vandalism committed at the just concluded Egungun festival in Iwo, Osun State, by a particular masquerade called Sambeleke.

This is contained in a statement made available  on Tuesday.

The Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative said the masquerade on Saturday at Alaye Junction, Kajola Area in Iwo, Osun State, attacked one Alhaji Musa Ameer Jaesh Ogo Oluwa, an Islamic Scholar and Popular preacher in Iwo, while he was on his way to a function.

It added that the masquerade, for no reason, vandalised property and attacked passersby leading to the destruction of one Toyota Camry.

The statement reads, “We are aware of other criminal act committed on bystanders who do not submitted themselves to the traditional institution on the said day of Egungun festival in Iwo.

“While we call out the Director of Police Operation Iwo Division Station, Adeeke, Iwo and the Area Commander, Police Area Command Iwo to unfold their folded hands to crimes committed at Broad-daylight in the name of Egungun festival in Iwo which has become a yearly occurrence and innocent inhabitants kept suffering in silence, we equally wish to reiterated the settled position of the highest law of our land which provided unequivocally that there will be no rights available to anyone, when the exercise of such rights will constitute an infringement of the rights of others.

“Our law is clear and it is trite that law enforcement agencies are mandated to swing into action where there is any obstruction of rights enjoyable to all citizens. Such act should be addressed without any delay in a religious volatile environment like Iwo to arrest any possible break down of law and order which may degenerate from the such incident.

“To this effect however, we demand a thorough investigation of this incident and prosecution of every perpetrators of this ugly incident.

“We equally urge all affected individuals in the Saturday incident to keep calm and let the law enforcement agencies go after perpetrators.”