IFON/ILOBU/ERIN-OSUN BLOODLETTING - OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE

IF GOVERNOR ADELEKE IS INTERESTED IN PEACE, IT IS POSSIBLE

BY: SODIQ LAWAL CHOCOMILO

Sir, I write to you in regrets following the dessertation, significant property damage and loss of lives - a chain of sad events that shaped the renewed Ifon/Ilobu crisis. It is very sad that the recent bloodletting between Ilobu and Ifon has extended to Erin-Osun. More than thirty (30) people reportedly sustained gunshots with no clear figure of those who had died in the communal crisis. Over 100 houses have been completely razed to ashes with significant number of residents now internally displaced. 

As I write to you, hundreds of residents including women and children who have been sacked from their homes due to the crisis are roaming aimlessly without being catered or responsible for, posing danger and threats to the state. Findings revealed that majority of these people do not even own a ‘comb’ because they have lost their properties to the crisis. These people include youths have capacity to commit crime, possibly leading to increase in crime rate if they are not found and catered for. I believe if these people continue to roam aimlessly, they will likely become bigger problems and frustrate possible plans to restore peace and sanity in respective towns.

Two years ago, I criticized your approach in resolving the crisis and feared the possibility of enhanced enmity between these warring towns which would escalate the crisis. I charged your administration to look beyond declaration of curfews, signing of peace treaty and formation of peace committee because I knew the matter had gone beyond boundary dispute. Unfortunately, there were attacks after curfews and signing of peace treaty which further affirmed my position that the state government has not been communicating either with the right people or language responsible for these attacks.

Sir, I find it disturbing that your administration still believes that the cause of this unending crisis and attrition is still boundary dispute because approaches embarked upon to resolve this crisis tow the same line of thought. Have you ever wondered why they still kill themselves and destroy each other properties despite several interventions? It is simply because the state government has continued to treat the primary cause of the crisis, overlooking associate causes. An age-long boundary dispute could not have existed alone as an entity. It surely must have nursed a variety of issues, misunderstanding and significant damages recorded by each party. In criminology, inchoate crime best explains the nature of communal crisis in Ifon/Ilobu/Erin-Osun.

Having critically studied the entire scenario, I clearly have no doubt that the boundary dispute has metamorphosed into war driven by revenge, vengeance and ego. This kind of war are always fueled by certain persons who either believe any town that tows the path of peace is weak and feeble or had recorded significant damage and resolved to make others pay. Sadly, there's an unresolved land dispute to use as sentiment or interest in driving their agendas.

The age-long dispute between Ifon/Ilobu/Erin-Osun can not be resolved due to its nature, complexity and varying degree of damages recorded by parties involved but it can be managed. And this dispute can be managed through quick interventions via arrest, prosecution and punishment of sponsors of attacks. This propelled me in 2023 to demand for for arrest, prosecution and punishment of killers of one, Sodiq Alamu. Where are the killers of Sodiq Alamu? Where are the arsonists who burned houses in both towns? Did the police arrest any individual? Were these individuals taken to court? Did the police or Ministry of Justice through intervention of community elders or leaders release any culprits?

Whenever violent conflict is established, the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators would not console victims but paints a picture of detterence to minds of those who intend to do so. The police and the Ministry of Justice in the state must be conscious in establishing peace for warring communities through arrest and prosecution. When those who engage in violent conflict and their sponsors roam around the streets, we only tell others that they can also roam around the street when they do so too. We can not continue to offer political solution to violent conflict and be surprised at any attack which points to escalation.

Osun is a state deeply rooted in sentiments and interest. Only a tough, decisive and stubborn leader could rule the state in peace. Sponsors of these attacks are not ghosts. Perpetrators do not possess supreme powers. They must be arrested, prosecuted and punished. The governor needs to stand firmly on his position. He must not give room for persuasion by community leaders. There's no better time to read the riot act for kings of the three towns; Ilobu, Ifon and Erin-Osun. If they do not know sponsors of these attacks, then they do not deserve crowns of their heads. The police must be duly responsible and work with community leaders to arrest every individual involved in this bloodletting. This age-long dispute can only be managed. It can not be resolved in total. To enjoy temporary peace, quick intervention such as arrest and prosecution of perpetrators is necessary.

If the governor is interested in rescuing Ilobu, Ifon and Erin-Osun from self-destruct, it is not too late.

Sodiq Lawal Chocomilo is an editor and a criminologist. He writes from Ilesa, one-time hotbed for violence and cult-related attacks.

Ifon-Ilobu Communal Dispute: Gov Adeleke Extends Curfew To Erin-Osun Town.

... extends curfew time to 24 hours.

...directs security agencies to extend security surveillance and compliance to the community.

Following the escalation of the crisis between the warring communities of Ilobu and Ifon, Osun State Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke has approved that the curfew be extended to Erin-Osun town.


The curfew time is now 24 hours daily.


This is as the Governor directs all security agencies such as the Military, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp NSCDC, Immigration, NDLEA, and AMOTEKUN among others to extend its security surveillance to the community.


All the security agencies are to ensure strict compliance to the curfew, which is now 24 hours daily until peace is restored.


The imposed curfew was necessary to forestall escalation of the crisis and breakdown of law and order due to the communal clashes in the communities.


According to the statement by Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, where Governor Adeleke was quoted as expressing dissatisfaction over the resurgence of the crisis in the warring communities. The curfew on Ifon-Ilobu Communities has now been extended to the Erin-Osun community until further notice.


"His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke is saddened at the escalation of the communal clashes between Ilobu and Ifon communities.

"To ensure that the crisis is curbed in the environment, the Governor has approved that the curfew be extended to Erin-Osun community and the curfew time is now 24-hours daily, effective immediately (today March 22, 2025) until further notice."

Governor Adeleke has further directed that the joint security team comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NDLEA and AMOTEKUN among others to continue to maintain their usual 24-hour surveillance and forestall breakdown of law and order.

"The Governor expresses his sympathy on lives and property lost in the escalated communal crisis and assures that perpetrators will face the wrath of law."

Osun state is a place of peace and harmony, and the government will not allow it to be truncated. This communal clash has to stop now, and we will ensure that it happens.
I urge everyone to imbibe the ethos of Omoluabi and shun communal crisis, embrace peaceful co-existence as brothers and sisters, the statement concludes.

Many residents have been shot, while others run for their lifes in a fresh communal clash between Ifon-Osun in Orolu local government and Ilobu in Irepodun council area of Osun State.

According to reports, many more, especially children and women, have been displaced while everal houses and shops were also razed in the attack in the ongoing land dispute renewed early hours of Friday.

Indigenes of the affected communities have been attacking eachother in various villages over disputed land in the area before the fresh clash on Friday.

In many viral videos on social media, the residents of Ifon under the aegis of Concerned Youth of Ifon Osun, Orolu Kingdom stated:

“We can’t keep looking and be watching Olobu & Ilobu people’s burning our shops and houses in the midnight any longer. We, the Youth of Ifon Osun Orolu Kingdom, call on the state Government of Osun to hasten their steps and actions to short things out, we have been patiently enduring the brutal attacks and destructive behavior of Ilobu hoodlums for far too long.

“Our peace-loving and law-abiding king, Oba Peter Oluwole Ipadeola Ilufemiloye Akinyooiye III, Olufon of Ifon Osun Orolu Kingdom, has been calming our youths and advising restraint, despite the ongoing aggression from Ilobu.

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to remain passive while our ancestral properties and farmlands are being destroyed and our people are being harmed.”

But the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Chief Leke Ogunsola denied attacking residents of Ifon. He alleged that; “Since Tuesday, they have been attacking our people on their farmland like Agbere Onireke and Opapa. They attacked a chief with an attempt to kidnap him but he was rescued by farmers around.

“On Wednesday, they went to a farm at Gbere to attack on Nureni and Oseni Saluwudeen, burnt down two motorcycles which will reported at the police station in Ilobu.

“Yesterday, in the evening they went to a place called Oke-Ekutu, they destroyed all the houses and set one on fire. They went to Akipanroro, Ganga and Oke-Ayepe, they started burning and shooting our people. Mostly children and women were caught in this attack, they caught us unawares.

Our children and women are displaced now, we are extracting bullets in the palace through local means, they have brought about 30 to palace for us to remove the bullets in their body, they are still bringing more. Children and women are mostly affected.”

While confirming the development, the Osun Police spokesperson , Akeem Adeoye, said the command has deployed personnel to restore peace and order.

He said: “In respect to resumption of hostilities in ilobu and ifon, the osun state command has deployed men to restore peace and order. thanks for your cooperation”

However, Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed immediate security operations to restore peace between Ifon and Ilobu communities, urging the peace committee to revive the peace deal.

In a statement issued over the renewed crisis, Governor Adeleke enjoined the joint security task force to step in immediately and stop the clashes. The Governor who decried the politicization of the crisis tasked the task force to go after the ring leaders and ensure they face the full wrath of the law.

He further urged the peace committee to ensure immediate cessation of hostility to preserve lives and properties.

The Governor who lamented the repeated breach of peace deals among the warring communities warned that his administration will take stringent action on the buffer zone between the two communities unless hostility stopped immediately.

Following a resurgence of the crisis between the warring communities of Ilobu and Ifon, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in a move to curb its further spread, has announced a new curfew time frame from 6 PM to 6 AM daily until lasting peace is restored.

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The Federal High Court, Lokoja, has granted an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from receiving petitions for the purpose of initiating a recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

DAILY POST reports that the push to recall the suspended senator intensified on Thursday, with more groups in Kogi Central throwing their weight behind the process.

However, a group of Ebira indigenes refuted the claim that the recall process was being sponsored and influenced with money by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s political opponents.


Nevertheless, the court, which gave the order on Thursday, also restricted INEC staff, agents, privies, or assigns from accepting or acting on any petition containing fictitious signatures of purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District and from conducting any referendum pending the determination of the motion on notice to the same effect.

The court, according to the order paper made available to newsmen on Friday morning, granted the application following an ex-parte application for an interim injunction supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency.

The court processes were sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima for himself and four others who are registered voters and constituents of the Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

However, the application was moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq., of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., but the case has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for a report of service and further mention.

Reacting to the development, a pressure group, Action Collective, commended the judiciary for granting the order.

The group’s coordinator, Dr. Onimisi Ibrahim, said in his reaction that the order would further expose the impunity of some sponsored individuals behind the failed plot to recall Senator Natasha.

Men of the Nigerian police have arrested Adura Aloba, the younger brother of the late singer, Mohbad.
 
Information gathered revealed that he was reportedly arrested along two others on Wednesday, when he was leaving the Lagos State Magistrates Court in Ogba.
 
Mohbad’s mother, Abosede Aloba in a viral video on social media, said Adura was arrested by unknown gunmen suspected to be police outside the court.
 
While calling on Nigerians to come to her rescue, Abosede accused popular Nollywood actor and rights activist, Yomi Fabiyi of being responsible for Adura’s arrest.
 
She said, “Please help me, people of God! It’s Yomi Fabiyi. They have taken away my son, Adura and I don’t know where they are taking him. The gunmen kidnapped him after the court sitting.

“Yomi Fabiyi and Sam Jojo that kidnapped him. My son did nothing to them. Adura is innocent, Nigerians, please stand by me. They must not lay a hand on my son. They must not beat him because he is sick

“The real culprit has already confessed to doing it”.
 
It was gathered that Adura was in court over a legal case involving a phone he sold to Damola Ayinde.
 
Adura had accused Ayinde and Yomi Fabiyi of using the phone to damage his reputation by hacking his TikTok account.