Farmers and business owners in Oropa, Ido-Ayegunle in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State have been forced to desert the community after the June 19, 2025 deadly attack that claimed lives and destroyed properties.
Nearly a year after the incident, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the community has been deserted by many over fear of possible attack from their neighbouring community, Esa-Oke.
During the attack, four people were gruesomely killed while many others were critically injured, according to the police.
Also, houses, shops, generators and other valuable property, including motorcycles, were razed by hoodlums, leaving residents fleeing to avoid being caught up in the melee.
The Olojudo of Ido-Ayegunle, Oba Oluwatimileyin Ajayi, on Monday, May 18, 2026 visited the affected settlement to assess progress in rebuilding the community and to restore hope to the people.
The visit, according to him, was in a bid to resettle those in exile.
Oba Ajayi was accompanied to the scene of the incident by former Yoruba Nation Agitator, Chief Sunday Igboho.
In a social media post by the monarch, he called on the indigenes, farmers and business owners in the area to return home while reassuring them of maximum-security protection.
He wrote: “To all our citizens, our hard-working farmers, and our resilient business owners who were forced to flee: this is your royal invitation to come back home. We are officially assuring you of a significantly tighter, fortified security network.
“Your ancestral lands, your farms, and your businesses are now fully protected. With the solid reassurance and the solemn vow from the Government, security agencies and Oloye Sunday Igboho to protect Oropa, Ido-Ayegunle and the Yoruba Nation as a whole, you have nothing to fear. The palace has your back, our heroes are with us, and peace has returned to stay.”
The June 19 crisis exposed a long-standing dispute over land ownership and traditional authority between Ido-Ayegunle and Esa-Oke.
Community leaders referenced past government panels of inquiry and pending white papers related to the dispute, which dates back decades and involves land ownership, traditional authority, and alleged political interference.
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
