The people of Ilobu and Erin-Osun communities in Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State have lived together for decades, to the extent that it is hard for a visitor to differentiate between them. However, those who are familiar with the two communities knew there was a bottled anger in the area and mutual suspicions among the indigenes. Daily Trust Saturday reports what actually led to the crisis in the once peaceful towns.
Last week, Ilobu and Erin-Osun communities were deserted when a fight broke out and many people lost their lives while others sustained injuries. Properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.
Boundary dispute was identified as the main cause of the communal clash, but the real reason was embedded in the struggle for political relevance by the two communities ahead of future elections.
The ongoing process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create new polling centres across the country attracted the attention of the political conscious indigenes of the town and necessitated the desperate move to claim certain areas that have been designated as new polling units.
Daily Trust Saturday learnt that the National Population Commission (NPC) was beginning area demarcation and delimitation as part of a process to enable the INEC identify where the new polling centres would be located.
Both Ilobu and Erin-Osun communities were claiming ownership of the particular location that was favoured as the new poling centre. This caused argument among the indigenes and officials of the NPC, who were said to have left to avoid attack as the situation became tensed.
The tension became aggravated when the traditional rulers of the two communities, the Olobu of Ilobu, Oba Ashiru Olatoye and the Elerin of Erin-Osun, Oba Yusuf Omoloye Oyagbodun had a hot altercation in a telephone conversation and fight broke out among their subjects thereafter as some youths from the two towns started fighting and shooting at one another.
Many people were killed, but authorities did not state their number.
A 76-year-old woman, Mrs Maria Adeyemi, who was hit by a bullet, said she was in front of her house when she was shot in her leg. Her daughter-in-law, Anike said, “Mama was not involved in the crisis and our house is not at the boundary. She was sitting outside here when the bullet hit her. It was very unfortunate”
Many houses were set ablaze while residents fled, leaving their belongings behind to avoid being killed. Also, many cars were burnt, while shops, business premises and petrol stations were razed. Shop owners said there was nothing left when they returned; everything was burnt down.
One of the residents, Mr Mukaila Babatunde, said his credentials, cloths and other belongings were burnt. “I don’t know where to start from. Everything is gone. They didn’t spare anything. The only thing I have now is this cloth on me and the pair of shoes I am wearing. It is very bad. I can only thank God that I am still alive to talk to you,” he said.
To stop further killings and destruction of property, the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, declared a curfew and ordered an immediate deployment of soldiers to assist the police restore law and order in the troubled area.
Speaking through his chief press secretary, Ismail Omipidan, Governor Oyetola said, “As a government we are resolved to do everything possible to protect citizens from actual and potential threats. To this end, we have ordered an immediate deployment of security operatives to restore law and order.
“I want to appeal to our people not to destroy our collective heritage by taking laws into their hands. Two wrongs don’t make a right. I, therefore, appeal to the warring parties to sheathe their sword and allow peace to reign.’’
Speaking at the scene of the incident, the commissioner of police in the state, Wale Olokode, urged traditional rulers of both communities to end the crisis or face the full wrath of the law.
At a meeting with the traditional rulers, Olokode pleaded with them to prevail on their subjects to end the crisis.
Also, during a peace meeting in the Government House, Osogbo, the state capital, Governor Oyetola appealed to the traditional rulers to ensure peace in their respective domains.
It was learnt that the soldiers and policemen deployed to the communities to ensure peace are not leaving anything to chance as they are fully enforcing the curfew imposed by the state government. Markets were also shut.
Speaking to Daily Trust Saturday, artisans who rely on daily income lamented that they were finding it extremely difficult to feed their families and other dependants as they had been forced to stay at home and not doing anything.
Market women who spoke to our correspondent also said that life had become very difficult as they have been forced out of business since Saturday. They added that the suffering was too much for them to bear.
Mr Jelili Ariyo, a resident of Ilobu said, “I don’t have savings because I spent the little money I made as I got it. The money I made daily was not much to last for days. So, since Saturday that we have not been able to go to work, we have been suffering; and only God knows how long the curfew will last.’’
Mrs Mujeedat Olayemi, a market woman, also told Daily Trust Saturday that the items she bought and planned to sell at the Ifon weekly market on Monday were perishable; hence she lost a huge amount of money as a result of the curfew.
She said, “If I had envisaged that this trouble would happen, I wouldn’t have bought new goods because the items are perishable and no one would buy them again since I could not sell them on the market day (Monday). It is a big loss for me,’’ she said
Meanwhile, peace seems to be returning to the communities gradually after the traditional rulers signed a peace pact in Osogbo during a peace meeting with the governor and the commissioner of police in the state.
After the meeting, government relaxed the 24-hour curfew to now last from 6pm to 6am daily, until further notice.
Daily Trust Saturday observed that the fight has stopped and normalcy seems to be returning to the communities, especially as soldiers and policemen deployed to the area are still there.
When peace eventually returns to both communities, the NPC and INEC are expected to return and continue their work.
But residents expressed uncertainty, saying political gladiators and their supporters would stop at nothing to claim the polling centre and achieve their aim.
