- Safiu Kehinde
The age long rivalry between Ifon and Ilobu two neighboring communities in Osun escalated on Friday as youths from the two communities went to war again.
Houses and other properties have been razed down in the resurgence of violence that had in the past seen many indigenous people killed.
According to report, the fresh communal clash over land disputes has claimed two lives with dozens of others severely wounded.
The violence reportedly erupted Thursday night when suspected hoodlums armed with sophisticated firearms and dangerous weapons such as charms, cutlasses, clubs, and arrows organized themselves into formidable groups, launching attack at one another.
The clash began around the Odo-Oje area, which marks the boundary between the two communities where the hoodlums shot at each other indiscriminately.
While some sustained bullet wounds, others were attacked with machetes and beaten with charms to inflict harm.
The hoodlums also set fire to a filling station known as Olubuse Filling Station as residents in the vicinity vacated their homes and businesses for safety.
Some video clips made available to NPO Reports on Friday, showed rows of houses torched by the hoodlums.
Wreckage of wooden kiosks were seen scattered across the now deserted community with smokes from burnt houses filling the air.
Commenting on the situation, Chief Adegoke Ogunsola, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, alleged that the Ifons had launched an attack on the people of Ilobu.
He claimed that the trouble began last Tuesday when Ifon residents assaulted an indigene of Ilobu who was trying to rebuild his home.
He added that the Ifons also attacked a couple on their motorcycle, beat them severely, and burned their motorcycles to ashes.
Reacting to the incident in a statement issued on Friday, the Chairman of Orolu Local Government Area, Abolade Adekunle, confirmed the age long crisis between the two communities.
While Ifon falls under the Orolu LGA, Ikobu is under Irepodun LGA.
Adekunle, in his statement, called for the intervention of the Ifon Orolu Monarch, Oba Peter Akinyooye III.
He also called for the intervention of state and federal governments as as the Nigerian Police Force.
“It is not quite surprising that Ifon Osun in Orolu Local Government Area and Ilobu of Irepodun Local Government Area both in Osun state has since having a long term communal crisis which it always claimed loss of lives and properties.
“Yesternight, we experienced another ugly communal crisis which keep escalating, led to burning of the Houses, Shops, Gunshots and which might later claim the lives of the people if the stop has not been put to the ugly crisis.
“It is high time to commend the Ifon Orolu Leadership led by His Royal Majesty Oba Peter Oluwole Ipadeola Akinyooye III, the Olufon of Ifon Orolu Kingdom for his Royalty experience to curb the violence.
“However, we all aware that the Osun State Government constituted a 100 panel committee to look into the matter of the two communities which led to the crisis and the panel has commenced their thorough investigation on the so call matter but yet to fix out the feedback and results to the parties involved.
“This prompt me to call on State Government led by Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke, for a swift action to restore peace and normalcy to the two communities and act fast on the committee constituted to resolve the rift as a matter of urgency.
“I also summon the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR come to our rescue in the both towns to find a final resolution to this long term ugly incident between the communities.
“I call on the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Security, and other related Security Agencies to intervene to this matter on ground in order to protect the lives and property of the people as it is as your main priority of your profession.
“Finally, I have to tell the people of Ifon community to remain calm and be vigilant as the matter has been reported to the appropriate quarters to intervene which I believe in the main time we will see the outcome.” Adekunle wrote.