No fewer than 30 people have been shot in a fresh communal crisis between Ifon in Orolu local government and Ilobu, Irepodun council area of Osun State.
It was gathered that many children and women, in particular, have been displaced in the ongoing land dispute.
Several houses and shops have also been burnt in the fresh attack in the early hours of Friday.
Recall that the hostility between these warring communities has become a recurring decimals as indigenes of the communities concerned have been attacking one another in the towns and in the disputed lands in the area before this fresh clash on Friday.
In videos on social media, 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 sort things out.We have been patiently enduring the brutal attacks and destructive behavior of Ilobu hoodlums for far too long”the statement said.
“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: “Since Tuesday, they have been attacking our people on their farmlands 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 one Nureni and Oseni Saluwudeen; burnt down two motorcycles which we have 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. Majorly 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 the palace for us to remove the bullets in their body, they are still bringing more. Children and women are mostly affected.”
Osun Police spokesperson , Akeem Adeoye, when contacted said that the command had deployed personnel to restore peace.
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”
In the same vein, 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.
The Governor is currently holding security and political engagements to find a lasting solution to the crisis.