The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has ordered the evacuation of all Hausa indigenes in the state capital to a neutral ground at Shasha, along Ado-Ikere Road as yet-to-be identified arsonists set ablaze the popular Oja Oba Market in Ado Ekiti, the state capital on Friday night.
The governor, who was seen supervising the evacuation, ordered that four luxury buses belonging to the government be immediately mobilized for the exercise carried out under tight security.
Fayose said the action was to protect them from being attacked and a demonstration of the fatherly love he had for all residents in the state irrespective of their tribe, religion or sex.
He said the Hausa community would be at the new place for the time being and would be heavily guarded by both soldiers and mobile policemen.
The burnt market situated directly opposite the palace of the traditional ruler of the community and adjudged to be the largest in the state was razed at about 2am on Friday.
Though, the identities of those responsible for the act was yet to be made public as at press time, a good number of residents are suspicious that enraged Hausa settlers whose shops and wares were either burnt or vandalized on the first day of the crisis on Wednesday, carried out the reprisal attack to avenge their losses.
The Chief Press Secretary to Fayose, Idowu Adelusi, told journalists that the ongoing crisis might have assumed political dimension as those who find it difficult to achieve the aim of impeaching the governor by all means might be hiding under it to perpetrate other evils to justify declaration of a state of emergency.
Owners of the affected stalls were seen wailing and lamenting their loses when our correspondent got to the scene as heavy presence of armed soldiers and mobile men were on hand to ensure peace in the area.
Residents of the area told our correspondent that they started observing a thick smoke from the market at early as 7am.
Some schools in the area did not open as those that opened in the morning hurriedly sent back their students to their different homes.
Also banks and other business outfits around the burnt market shut down while the area was left deserted.
No fewer than 50 shops as well as two residential buildings were consumed along with goods worth several millions of Naira by the midnight fire.
It was learnt that men of the state fire service who got wind of the arson made spirited efforts to put off the fire but to no avail.
As a result of the development, both official and commercial activities that were gradually picking up before Friday’s incident went down again as virtually all major streets were deserted.
Trucks load of mobile and regular policemen as well as soldiers were immediately drafted on the orders of the state government to prevent escalation of the crisis and prevent massive looting.
Fayose, who personally led security team that included the newly-posted Commissioner of Police, Etop James, to the scene, expressed worry at the turn of event despite his imposition of dusk to dawn curfew on Thursday.
But he said the incident would not in any way compel him to declare a 24 hour curfew as being suggested by some people.
In the same vein, James said his men were already on top of the situation and had to work tirelessly from 1am in the midnight of Friday to prevent the situation from degenerating into an uncontrollable situation.
He said he was challenged by the character of Fayose, who abandoned the luxury of the Government House to team up with the police in checking the crisis from getting out of hands when called about 1am.
The police boss warned trouble makers to steer clear of the state while law abiding residents should conduct their daily businesses without any fear.
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