In a letter to the Research Directorate, the Secretary General of the Modakeke Progressive Union (MPU) in New York explained that the MPU is an association of the "sons and daughters" of the township of Modakeke (9 Sept. 1998). The MPU was formed in Modakeke, Osun State in 1939. The MPU United States branch was formed in August 1997 and was "incorporated under the U.S. Law a few months later." The objective of the MPU is to form an umbrella pressure group to protest against the domination of the Ifes who want to establish a "fiefdom" over the people of Modakeke.

Under Decrees No. 36 of 1996 and No. 7 of 1997, the government of the late President Abacha approved "the creation of a new Local Government named Ife East Local Government out of the former Ife North Local Government with Headquarters at Modakeke."

The MPU claims that due to "manipulations" of the Ife and their allies, "Ife East Local Government was not allowed to function in Modakake until its headquarters was again purportedly relocated from Modakeke to Oke-Ogbo in Ilode ward of Ife Central Local Government Area, by the Osun State Military Administrator Lt. Col. Anthony Obi, on the 14th August 1997."

This resulted in clashes between the Modakeke and the Ile-Ife in Modakeke from mid-August 1997 to the end of the year (AFP 31 Dec. 1997; 6 Dec. 1997; 4 Dec. 1997; 25 Sept. 1997; 2 Sept. 1997; Africa News 25 Sept. 1997; DPA 18 Aug. 1997; West Africa 6 - 12 Dec. 1997). The fighting left "more than 120 people dead and several hundreds of houses, cars and property burnt down or destroyed" (AFP 31 Dec. 1997, 1574).

In a memorandum addressed to President Abdul Salam Abubakar of Nigeria, the MPU detailed the problems the Modakeke are facing as a result of not having a local government of their own and appealed to the federal government "to redress the injustice, by giving effect to the provisions of Decree No. 36 of 1996 and Decree No. 7 which creates Ife East Local Government out of Ife North L.G. with the Headquarters at Modakeke." For additional information on the conflict, please consult the attached documents.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 31 December 1997. "Nouveau affrontements entre Ife et Modakeke: 6 morts." (NEXIS).

_____. 6 December 1997. "Au mois 15 morts dans des affrontements au sud-ouest." (NEXIS).

_____. 4 December 1997. "Maisons brûlées et endomagées dans des affrontements communautaires." (NEXIS)

_____. 25 September 1997. "Nouveau affrontements entre Ife et Modakeke: plus de vingt morts (presse) (NEXIS)

_____. 2 September 1997. "Four Dead in Renewed Clan Fighting." (NEXIS)

Africa News. 25 September 1997. "Nigeria: Death Toll Rises to 30 in Nigerian Communal Violence.""(NEXIS)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 18 August 1997. "10 Killed in Nigeria Communal Crisis, Curfew Imposed on Town." (NEXIS)

Modakeke Progressive Union, New York. 10 September 1998. Letter to Research Directorate.

West Africa [London]. 6 - 12 October 1997. "Modakeke Burns Again."

Modakeke Progressive Union, Modakeke. 24 June 1998. Memorandum to General Abdul Salam Abubaker on the "Implementation of Decrees Nos. 37 of 1996 and 7 of 1997 Relating to the Creation of Ife East Local Government with Headquarters at Modakeke."

Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette. Lagos. 3 March 1997. Vol. 84. No. 7.

Modakeke Progressive Union, New York. 8 September 1998. Telephone interview with Secretary General.