Tensions are high as the indigenes of Ifon town in Orolu Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria, accuse the Ilobu community of secretly planning to transfer some villages within its jurisdiction to the neighboring Oyo State. The Orolu Local Government area serves as the boundary between Osun and Oyo States, intensifying the gravity of this territorial dispute.
In a petition addressed to the Osun State Government, the Secretary of Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union Board of Trustees, Jide Akinyooye, voiced the community’s distress, alleging that several villages belonging to Ifon were being stealthily transferred to towns in Oyo State. Furthermore, Akinyooye expressed concern that the decision of village heads to pledge allegiance to Oyo State communities was a deliberate provocation intended to instigate violent reactions from the Ifon community.
The community insists that these actions are part of a larger scheme to provoke civil disturbances and ultimately undermine Osun State’s territorial integrity by surreptitiously ceding land to Oyo State, particularly in the context of negotiations with the National Boundary Commission (NBC).
The petition highlights the presence of public facilities and vital infrastructure, including schools, health centers, housing, and polling stations, all established by Osun State in the affected locations. Such evidence, the community argues, reinforces their historical ownership and administrative control of the contested territories.
The Ifon-Osun community is urging the Osun State Government and the Inspector General of Police to launch a thorough investigation into these allegations and take legal action against those involved in the purported illegal transfer of territory.
In response, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Adegoke Ogunsola, refuted the allegations, clarifying that the individuals from Ilobu who were installed as village heads in Oyo State are farmers on that land and not laying claim to Ilobu’s territory. He emphasized that there are no conflicts arising from their installations as village heads in Oyo State.
As the dispute continues to unfold, the gravity of the situation demands urgent attention and impartial intervention to prevent the escalation of tensions between the affected communities.
The potential implications of this contentious issue extend beyond the two states involved, with far-reaching consequences for the peaceful coexistence of communities and the preservation of territorial integrity. As the dispute intensifies, the eyes of concerned parties and authorities are keenly fixed on the resolution of this complex and sensitive matter.
