How Installation Of Village Heads Triggered Fresh Ifon/Ilobu Crisis

INDIGENES of Ifon, Orolu local government and Ilobu, Irepodun local government of Osun State renewed their deadly clash on Monday, leading to the death of two persons. 

The fresh communal clash occurred a month after Governor Ademola Adeleke lifted the curfew which was imposed on the two communities as a result of the October 4, 2023 clash. 

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the recent clash between the two communities is directly connected to the installation of heads of some villages by the Arayin of Iranyin, Oba Lasisi Olagbemileke Omogboye.

Iranyin is a community in Surulere local government of Oyo State. 

The medium learnt that the Arayin allegedly installed some Ilobu indigenes as the Baale (heads) of Wale, Molufon, Idiroko and Oloso villages being claimed by Ifon as their land, on December 29, 2023. 

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the Ilobu indigenes had been prevented from entering their various villages by Ifon people after the October 4 communal clash. 

According to sources, the Ilobu indigenes, particularly those who have been installed as heads of their villages resorted to make their ways into the villages on Monday, January 29, 2024, a development that resulted into violent clash. 

The clash at the villages escalated to Ilobu and Ifon, especially at boundary areas known as Ganga and Golden Gate. 

Ifon had consistently been accusing Ilobu of ceding its land and Osun State territory by extension to Oyo because of the land dispute between the two communities. 

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Secretary of Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union Board of Trustees, Prince Jide Akinyooye, accused the Arayin of Iranyin of fueling the communal clash by usurping the authority of Ifon to install some individuals as heads of villages owned by the community.

Akinyooye, in an interview yesterday, also renewed the Ifon’s accusation against Ilobu, stating that the later has ceded Osun state territory to Oyo. 

He said: “We know that some Ilobu indigenes who were farming on Ifon land left their various villages to wage war against us during the October 4, 2023 clash. After the crisis was settled, the Ifon people prevented them from going back to the villages because we cannot continue to feed those who joined the war against us. 

However, the Ilobu people have been conspiring with Arayin of Iranyin, a community in Surulere local government of Oyo State, to cede our land to Oyo. The Arayin went ahead to install some Ilobu indigenes as Baales in the villages like Idiroko, Wale, Molufon, Oloso and Ologele, which are owned by Ifon.

“We wrote a letter to Governor Ademola Adeleke on January 5, 2024 to inform the government about the looming interstate crisis. We also wrote a petition to Zone 11 on the matter. 

On Monday, January 29, the Ilobu people mobilised themselves with guns and dangerous weapons with a resolution to force their ways into the villages. They attacked our people and even set houses on fire. In fact, they burnt down Idiroko villag, and the also burnt down all the houses in Wale village. 

“The worse part of it is that the Oba of Ologele, who’s earning salary under Orolu local government also went ahead to be reinstalled as Ologele by Arayin under same jurisdiction. That is the cause of the fresh communal clash.” 

Asked what would bring a sustainable peace to the two communities, Akinyooye called on the security agencies to prosecute anybody fueling crisis in the area. 

He said: “The state government has done very well. They deployed security agencies to the place immediately we alerted it and that normalised the situation. 

“The government should prosecute whoever is fueling the crisis. If we have boundary dispute at Opapa in the main town, what is the issue on the land that spread from Ifon to Oyo boundary? The affected villages are within Ifon, not Oyo State.”

Dismissing Akinyooye’s claim, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Chief Rauf Ogunsola, absolved his town of any conspiracy, saying Ilobu does not have authority to cede any land to Oyo. 

Ogunsola declared that Ifon was not ready for peace as it has consistently been denying Ilobu indigenes access to their various farms in spite of the peace accord. 

He said the Monday clash was as a result of the violent nature and continuous move by Ifon to prevent ilobu indigenes to go to their various villages. 

Ogunsola said: “On Monday, Ilobu indigenes at villages around Oyo State boundary went to their farms in about 10 villages. They went en-mass to assess situations on their respective farms. 

“Before that, the Chairmen of Surulere local government in Oyo State and Orolu local government chairman and both Orolu and Surulere Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) held a meeting in Ifon. At the meeting, the DPOs asked Ifon indigenes reasons they were pursuing people from their farms but they denied; saying it is the Ilobu indigenes who knew the reasons they left their respective farms, that they should go to their farms if they are willing to.

“That was the report given to the people which made them to decide to go to their farms. So, they went to the farms on Monday. They have already gotten to two villages. But Ifon indigenes attacked them on their way to the third village. They killed one Bashiru Adegbenro and his first child. His own village is called Agana under Surulere local government. But he’s from Ilobu. Several other people were injured in the attack. 

“After that, policemen went there to restore law and order. Around 3pm of same day, we began to hear gunshots from Ganga and Golden gate areas in Ilobu. Residents in the areas scamper for safety, and some other people decided to defend themselves. On that Monday night, at Oke Elenkere, they killed one Ibrahim Azeez at RCM Primary School, Ifon.

“Ifon is accusing us of ceding Osun land to Oyo; that has been the allegation against us for some times now. Do we have power to cede land to anybody? No. But the Ilobu indigenes living in those villages know who owned the land. Why would Ifon be accusing us of ceding land to Oyo? That is part of what is causing the problem. 

“We also don’t have power on other state to confer chieftaincy title on those living there. It is not in our state. Arayin is the owner of where they occupied. Arayin claimed ownership of the place and he installed them as village heads. 

Asked what would bring a lasting peace to the two communities, Ogunsola said: “People have not been allowed to go back to their farms since October 4 that this crisis began, that’s four months now. Their families have scattered, some of them have gone to Ede to become beggars.

“Unless the government tell Ifon people that they should not prevent anybody from going to their farms, they should not attack anyone going or coming from their farms, unless they stop that, people are bound to resist them.” 

Surrender Your Arms Within 24 Hours, Govt. Tells Indigenes Of Warring Communities 

However, the state government has called on indigenes of the two communities to surrender the arms and ammunition in their possession to police station or nearest security formation within 24 hours, starting from yesterday. 

A statement by the Commissioner for Information And Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, stated that the state government has also set up a 16-man committee to find a lasting solution to the communal clash. 

The statement which was made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, reads: “The State Government hosted another high powered security meeting with all the stakeholders from Ilobu, Ifon, Erin and Okanla communities in agreement with the following resolutions aimed at bringing an end to the communal crisis between Ifon and Ilobu communities.

“The resolutions endorsed and approved by all stakeholders are as follows: That any person or group of persons in possession of firearms and ammunition should surrender such ammunition within 24 Hours from today 1st February, 2024 to the nearest police or security formations;

“That the police authority in the state has been mandated to invite for interrogation, all those who made themselves available as chiefs or custodians of the disputed areas;

“A 16 man Resolution committee has been established by the Osun state government to sit and work out an amicable way (s) of settling the entire issues at stake;

“That the Committee is to  submit its findings in two weeks time,with the 15th of February, 2024 given as the deadline

“The high powered security committee set up by Osun state Government, however, maintained that the 6pm to 6 am curfew earlier imposed still remains and all security personnels comprising the Army,Police,Civil Defence are to remain where they are to ensure lasting peace in the warring communities.

“The Stakeholders meeting has resolved that anybody found with arms and ammunition in the area after the deadline should be arrested and prosecuted. 

“Finally, anyone or group of persons found or caught still  instigating any further violence, to mortgage lasting peace being  envisioned in the warring  communities would be made to face the full wrath of the law.”