From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The people of Ifon in Orolu Local Government of Osun State have raised the alarm over a purported plan by its neighboring town, Ilobu in Irepodun Local Government to concede some villages to Oyo State.
Daily Sun reports that Ifon and Ilobu had taken daggers against each other where many people were killed and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed before the intervention of the government.
While curfew is still in place to prevent further breakdown of law and order, the two communities had engaged in accusation and counter-accusation.
The people of Ilobu alleged that their farmers in ten villages were prevented from entering their farm located on the land of Oyo state.
But, the Secretary, of the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union Board Of Trustees, Prince Jide Akinyooye, in a statement on Thursday, said the allegation of Ilobu was part of their plan to cede some communities under Ifon to Oyo state.
“We would like to call the attention of the Osun State Government that we have all evidence that the people of Ilobu are relentless in sabotaging the ongoing peace efforts and tragically conceding Osun State territory to Surulere Local Government area of Oyo State in a fruitless mischievous trick to frustrate the people of Orolu Local Government.
“There is no iota of truth in the allegations that indigenes of Ifon are intimidating, harassing, and looting Ilobu people’s farms. Also nobody is chasing them out of their farmlands. They have emphatically confused themselves that their people are farming in Oyo State. How possible is it that Orolu will be chasing people farming in Oyo State territory? The raw fact is that Ilobu has colluded with some stakeholders in Oyo State to concede some villages under Orolu Local Government, Osun State to Oyo State out of malice for Ifon.
“We are calling on the Government of Osun State to investigate the calculated mischievous latter-day claims by the people of Ilobu that Abebi Village, Idi-Iroko Model Town, Wale Village, Ologele Village, Olosho Village, Molufon, Bolorunduro Village among other places in jurisdiction of Olufon Ward 10 in Orolu Local Government, Ifon-Osun are covered by Surulere Local Government of Oyo State.
“The Orolu Stakeholders are openly declaring that the people in referred areas of Orolu Local Government area of Osun State have been under the administrative jurisdiction of Osun State and equally participating in voting exercise as a major part of Osun State since 1999,” Akinyooye said.