The Olobu of Ilobu, Oba Ashiru Olaniyan, has appealed to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to reconsider the 24-hour curfew imposed on Ilobu, Ifon, and Erin communities. The curfew was enforced following a violent communal clash over a land dispute, which left 30 people dead and caused property damage estimated at N2 billion.
Governor Adeleke had imposed the curfew last week after tensions escalated, resulting in the shooting of 30 residents and the destruction of numerous properties. Speaking on the tragic incident, Oba Olaniyan expressed deep sadness over the recurrent violence, which he attributed to the ambition and greed of a few individuals lacking historical awareness and leadership integrity.
“Several clashes in the last 18 months have drawn us many decades backwards due to the greed, ambition, and overzealousness of a few individuals, who lack a sense of history and see leadership as a tool of oppression,” the monarch lamented in a statement yesterday.
Oba Olaniyan acknowledged the agony of his people, who have suffered loss of lives and destruction of livelihoods. He urged residents to remain peaceful despite their pain and to honor the instruction of their forefathers.
“I feel your pain, anguish, and agony. I have watched in horror how you have been butchered and more than 30 of you killed just in 18 months, and how your houses have been set on fire, your goods razed, stores vandalized, and means of livelihood violently destroyed,” he stated.
The monarch further highlighted that court rulings and evidence have consistently affirmed Ilobu as the rightful owner of the disputed land. In his plea to the government, Oba Olaniyan made five demands, including the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the communal violence.
Governor Adeleke, while condemning the level of destruction, has yet to respond to the monarch’s appeal for a curfew review.
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