Ikoyi, Apomu Spur For War After Bloody Masquerade Festival

• Stakeholders Raise Funds For Arms, Ammunition

• One Killed, Houses, Shops Burnt

• Our Men On Ground To Forestall Further Violence – Police

There is the possibility of a communal clash between Ikoyi and Apomu of the Isokan local government of Osun State, following Sunday’s masquerade festival which turned violent. 

Sources in Ikoyi and Apomu confided in OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, that some stakeholders in the town have been raising funds to buy arms and ammunition in preparation for a full-blown clash. 

This is just as some indigenes of the two communities have continued to arm and station themselves at strategic areas in the towns to wade off possible attack. 

Violence erupted the communities on Sunday when some masqueraders who are also members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) from Ikoyi invaded Oja Oba area of Apomu during an Egungun festival. 

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the masqueraders who were with an Ikoyi masquerade called Labaeka, were addressed by the Odofin of Apomu, High Chief Sarafadeen, who appealed to them to return to their town. 

Findings revealed that the Labaeka masqueraders purportedly came to attack the Olugula masquerade followers, but the masquerade had left the palace square before their arrival.

It was gathered that there was an existing crisis between the Ikoyi masqueraders and the custodian of the Olugula masquerade in Apomu.  

According to sources, the Ikoyi masqueraders harassed and pushed down the Apomu chief, triggering indigenes of the town to confront the masqueraders which degenerated into a bloody clash. 

One of the sources said: “The genesis of the violence is that there is an existing crisis between some members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) from Ikoyi who are followers of Akerele, a chief in the town and some indigenes of Apomu before this year’s masquerade festival. 

“But Akerele who is the leader of the OPC in Ikoyi was not involved and was not in the town when the Sunday violence broke out. It was his followers who followed a masquerade called Labaeka from Ikoyi to Apomu that caused the crisis. 

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“When the Labaeka masquerade and his followers got to the Central Mosque area of Apomu around 5:30 pm, High Chief Odofin of the town went to address them. He told them to return to Ikoyi because it was late.

“The Ikoyi masqueraders purportedly came to attack the Olugula masquerade and his followers because of the existing crisis between them. But the masquerade had left the palace square before their arrival.

“When Chief Odofin was pleading with the Ikoyi masqueraders to return to their town, one of them harassed and pushed him down. Some of the Apomu indigenes around rallied round him and confronted the Labaeka masqueraders. That was how the crisis degenerated to shooting and destruction of properties.” 

Some of the masqueraders, according to sources, included Horror, Mortuary, Dele junction, and Falepon, among others. 

An indigene of Apomu known as Yanmuyanmu was shot dead around the Lagbaja area of Apomu, while three houses at the major boundary of the two communities were burnt, according to sources.

Also, shops, kiosks, and containers at the boundary area were razed or destroyed.

“Properties at the boundary between the two communities were razed and destroyed. The house of Baba Taiwo, the father of a governorship aspirant in 2018, Tunde Taiwo, was destroyed. A building that is next to his, which was being used by a former PDP councillor in Ward I in Ikoyi, for hospitality was also razed. A total of three main buildings were destroyed”, said an Ikoyi indigene. 

It was gathered that some indigenes of Apomu mobilised themselves and attacked available residents of Ikoyi at the wee hour of Monday, causing confusion in the two communities.

Though security operatives, the majority of whom are policemen, have been stationed in the two communities, residents of the towns, especially those at the boundary, were still living in fear. 

Residents of Elekan, Jago, Barale, Oke Olomi, and other boundary areas in Ikoyi and Apomu were still in panic because of the fear of reprisal from the two communities.

However, a source in Ikoyi who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under the condition of anonymity on Wednesday said the two communities were still bitter and ready to launch an attack on each other at any time. 

He said both Ikoyi and Apomu were strategising on how to attack each other, in spite of the settlement of the Sunday and Monday crisis.    

According to the source, “The security should not relax. Some people in Ikoyi and Apomu are already raising funds to purchase arms and ammunition for hoodlums. 

“Some prominent leaders of the towns donated N300,000 on Tuesday, while another person has donated N100,000. The donations are ongoing; it is being given to a prominent OPC member. 

“We don’t want war. We need to embrace peace. Some of those raising the money are not residing in Ikoyi and Apomu. That is why they can do what they like. I want to appeal to the security agencies to be at alert and prevent the impending communal clash.

“As I am speaking with you, we can’t drive or walk through Apomu. They are also spurred for war. Some hoodlums in the community have been gathering and positioning themselves in strategic areas. Arms and ammunition are flying around in the two communities. The security agents should please prevent the looming war.”

When contacted, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said security operatives were on the ground to forestall further violence.

Opalola maintained that the Police will not allow any individual or group of people to cause the breakdown of law and order in the two communities.