Contrary to reports, the federal government has said the recent clash between Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ife had no ethnic connotations.

The minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulramaan Danbazzua (rtd) disclosed this to state house correspondents over the weekend.

According to him, upon his return from South Africa in the wake of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians resident there last week, he went straight to the troubled community to get first hand information about the clash.

He appealed to the various stakeholders to eschew violence while assuring that government was handling the matter and all the culprits will be brought to book.

He said “I was able to visit Ife yesterday on my arrival from South Africa where I went in company of minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss with South African government on the issue pertaining to xenophobic attacks on Nigerians.

“So, when I came back, I decided to move straight to Ife, yesterday because what occurred in Ife happened while we were away.

“The deputy governor of Osun state received us because the governor was away here in Abuja for the NEC meeting.

“We went straight to communities where this crisis occurred and we saw the extent of damage and we met the leaderships of the communities and we discussed with them. It is very clear that this issue is not about crisis between Hausa community and Yoruba community in Ife.”

He said the Hausa community has been living in Ife for close to 200 years as the first settlers arrived there in 1820 noting that these are about the fourth, fifth generations of the community and they have never experienced this kind of crisis.