Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union (IPU), has refuted claims that the crisis between the town and Ilobu is political, saying that the dispute is purely boundary issue.
In an open letter to the president jointly signed by IPU national president and the Secretary, Board of Trustees, Alhaji Mohammed Oyedeji and Prince Jide Adelaja Akinyooye, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the union urged the president to allow the state institution to demarcate the boundary dispute between Ifon and Ilobu according to the extant Ross Boundary of 1924 as provided in the Constitution and in line with the Supreme Court decision in ADESINA vs COMMISSIONER (1996) 4 SCNJ 112, and in the spirit of true federalism.
“Impress it on the federal security institutions to be proactive and fair to all and sundry in providing security to all communities within Orolu Kingdom including Ifon, Erin-Osun, Ilobu, Okanla, and all other communities while ensuring that perpetrators of criminalities are promptly arrested and prosecuted to face the consequences when reported.
“As supporters of your Renewed Hope Agenda, we make bold to say that the state government is making efforts, while we demand more from the state government by seeing to it that the committee that was set up rounds up its activities and proffers lasting solution to this embarrassing conflict that has estranged closely related kinsmen, because Ilobu is an outgrowth of Ifon-Osun. Ayonu, the first Olobu, was an Olufon’s grandson settled in Ilobu by Olufon, and we remain closely related by blood.
The letter reads: “This open Letter is coming as a rejoinder to the misinformation of Ilobu Asake Descendants Union’s Open Letter to you dated the 24th day of March 2025
As the father of our great nation, the leadership of Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union (IPU) implore your excellency to take a moment to understand the underlying causes of the latest communal crisis among Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun communities all within Orolu Kingdom which covers both Irepodun and Orolu Local Governments of Osun State. This conflict has been simmering for years, and it’s essential to address Your Excellency and members of the public to set the record straight against misrepresentation and false political narratives in circulation.
“The crisis is just about boundary disputes that has escalated into violence; but is avoidable if all the parties are honest with known and well documented historical documents sacredly preserved. The aggressor, Ilobu “Asake, omo Tapa ni Enpe loke Oya” meaning “Ilobu, the descendants of Asake, migrants from Enpe of Tapa land from North of River Niger” (see oriki Ilobu) has been attacking all her neighbours which includes but not limited to Okanla, Erin-Osun, and Ifon-Osun communities. Ilobus who cry wolves to high heaven has almost wiped out Okanla communities with their palace burned down and homeless natives continuously hunted down till date since 2023. The legal advice from state ministry of justice to arrest and prosecute perpetrators was never honoured by the police who released the culprits from Ilobu on bails.
“There was no boundary between Olufon of Ifon and his district Chiefs including Baale of Ilobu in pre-colonial era. It was when Ifon native authority was to be created that Olufon was advised by Alaafin Siyanbola Oladigbolu to demarcate boundaries with some of his chiefs. Thus, in 1924, Senior Residence of Oyo, Captain Ross documented what is now known as ROSS Boundary between Olufon of Ifon and Baale of Ilobu. The Boundary is entered in the Ibadan Boundary Book at page 94 and 95 since 1924.
“Thirty years later, in 1954 to be precise, Ilobu have made several judicial attempts to alter the boundary travelling from (i)Native Court, (ii) Osun District Officer’s Appeal Court, (iii) Resident’s Appeal Court, and (iv) Governors’ Court, all the Court dismissed the Ilobu’s attempt maintaining the sanctity of ROSS BOUNDARY. The boundary is as captured in the Supreme Court case of OYELADE vs ARAOYE (1967) 1 ALL NLR 321; (1968) NMLR 41 where the apex court held that both parties accepted ROSS BOUNDARY as correct over the years.
“After the Supreme Court found that both parties are glued to ROSS BOUNDARY, the Government of Western Region referred the dispute to Boundary Commission to determine and demarcate generally accepted ROSS BOUNDARY between the two communities, Ilobus relied on Suit No. HOS/20/1970 and went to court to frustrate the boundary commissioner. Their case was dismissed by the Supreme Court again in Suit No. SC/45/1990 reported as ADESINA vs COMMISSIONER (1996) 4 SCNJ 112 stating that HOS/20/70 confers no land on Ilobu while mandating that State Boundary Commission, not even the High Court has power to interpret and demarcate the community Boundary as fixed by Captain Ross. Thus, the call for Federal Government on boundary issue by Ilobus is misplaced and borne out of ignorance.
“Your Excellency Sir, it is not funny that Ilobus are moving away from the established ROSS Boundary line, but claiming 93 Ifon villages/ settlements, Olufon’s Owala Shrine, Oke-Eleyele ancestral shrine, 11 elementary and High Schools sited in Ifon Osun since 1976, 7 Ifon Osun Community Healthcare facilities, Eid Praying Ground, and 21 Nos. of Polling Units all of which have been established in pre-independence Nigeria.
“The semi-autonomy that Baale Ilobu enjoys after the 1924 Ross Boundary within Orolu Kingdom has motivated Ilobu’s quest for expansion beyond limited space earmarked for Baale of Ilobu in 1924, hence, all failed judicial attempts above referred. Instead of challenging Olufon’s overlordship while still under the paramountcy of Olufon of Ifon as the father of all – permanent President of Irepodun & Orolu Traditional Council, Ilobu Community ought to approach Olufon for further grant and concession just like other Chiefs do.
“Rather, Ilobu community, being manipulated by criminal few among them have formed a killer gang of land grabber who perennially engages in the following:
There was a violent boundary dispute between Ilobu and Erin-Osun in 2020 where Ilobu killed several people in Erin-Osun and destroyed properties worth hundreds of millions of naira.
“There was another violent boundary and land disputes between Ilobu and Okanla community where almost entire Okanla community has been annihilated by Ilobu criminal gang with the support of Ilobu Palace in 2023 without consequences meted out to apprehended criminals.
“There was a serious aggression from Ilobu to Ifon-Osun in 2005 during the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who called for the intervention of Osun Traditional Council of Obas. It was on record that late His Imperial Majesty Oba Sijuwade Okunade, Olubuse II, the Ooni of Ile-Ife led over 50 traditional rulers to Ifon-Orolu and declared in their presence that Olufon of Ifon-Orolu Kingdom is the historical overlord of the area.
RECENT LAND DISPUTE THAT LED TO COMMUNAL CLASH IN IFON, ILOBU & ERIN-OSUN COMMUNITIES BETWEEN 2023 AND 2025
Sometimes in October, 2023; there was a land dispute in our boundary region in-between Ifon, Okanla and Ilobu communities at Opapa area in Gbere-Odofin area of Ifon-Osun.
Late Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja who hailed from Ilobu influenced the citing of a military hospital project in his hometown of Ilobu, but Ilobu would rather take advantage of their son to use military might to cite it on land that belongs to Ifon who was not contacted. This led to tension. Ilobus relied on the position of Lt. Gen. Lagbaja to oppress all neighbouring communities with such brazen impunity. The state government arrested the situation with a dusk to dawn curfew which Ifon kept, only to be attacked by Ilobus in the midnight when many houses worth hundreds of millions of naira were burnt in Ifon and about 25 lives lost. This was followed by a 24hour curfew which was later relaxed.
Incumbent administration of Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke declared the disputed areas of Opapa, Igbo Imiesin, and Gbere Odofin as Buffer Zone and signed a peace-pact with leadership of Ifon, Okanla and Ilobu communities that no one should undertake further activities in the particular area. It is heartbreaking to state that Ilobu breached the peace pact signed by Ifon, Ilobu, Okanla, and Erin Ọ̀ṣun dated 6th October 2023 as follows:
Chief Goke Ogunsola, who is the Otun Jagun of Ilobu connived with Olori Bola Olaniyan, the wife of the aged and frail Baale Olobu of Ilobu for personal pecuniary benefits, started selling and allocating the contentious land at Opapa, Gbere-Odofin, and Igbo Imi-Esin Buffer Zone that was earlier prohibited by Osun State Government.
The people of Ilobu and illegal allottees embarked on the destruction of economic trees belonging to the original landowners who are people of Odofin and Eleesi families in Ifon-Osun.
The IPU as the apex community association in Ifon-Osun made spirited efforts to formally alert the Osun State Government, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command of Department of State Security Services and office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone XI, all these could not stop Ilobu people.
The refused the Okanla people access back into their respective homes. The Ilobus attack them wherever found and get them killed!
E. SETTING UP OF 100-MAN PEACE COMMITTEE
With the intention to find a lasting solution to the lingering tension, the state government set up of 100-man committee. Each of the Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun nominated 25 persons of their choices, and the state government nominated 25 members ex-officio who are people of proven integrity – It is Ilobu community that has been frustrating the efforts of the committee by constant threats to pull out while still breaching the peace agreement by destructions of economic tress and engaging in constructions.
Event turned violent when they began to way lay and assault Ifon farmers, lacerating them with cutlasses. All these were reported to the Police. When the police visited the site, the gorilla warlords opened fire on the Nigerian Police from Ifon Divisional Headquarters on 14/03/25. While the processes of escalating the impending violence to the higher police command was ongoing, the Ilobus had attacked one Hon. Azeez Ikolaba, a councilor from Ifon who was shot, and another woman was burnt with her house. The house of immediate past Olufon of Ifon was also razed down by fire at the instance of Ilobus overnight.
The leadership of the IPU and the Palace lost control of the mob who were visibly pained and angry by these constant criminal attacks. This led to open confrontation between Ifon and Ilobu. But for the intervention of the security agencies after some hours, the loss of lives and properties on both sides could be worse.
F. OUR APPEAL / PRAYERS:
Going by the history of this dispute over the last one century, it is evident that it is strictly a boundary dispute. There is nothing political in it. IPU enjoins your excellency to remain a democrat that you are. You are a reputable federalist, the issue of boundary between one community or local government and the other is strictly within the power of the state government. The crisis being fomented by Ilobu people within Orolu Kingdom should not be a basis to interfere in the affairs of a state. At most, we implore you to empower the security agencies to ever be present within the disputed area and nothing more. We therefore pray you as follows:
In line with the Supreme Court decision in ADESINA vs COMMISSIONER (1996) 4 SCNJ 112, and in the spirit of true federalism, allow the state institution to demarcate the boundary dispute between Ifon and Ilobu according to the extant Ross Boundary of 1924 as provided in the Constitution.
Impress it on the federal security institutions to be proactive and fair to all and sundry in providing security to all communities within Orolu Kingdom including Ifon, Erin-Osun, Ilobu, Okanla, and all other communities while ensuring that perpetrators of criminalities are promptly arrested and prosecuted to face the consequences when reported.
As supporters of your Renewed Hope Agenda, we make bold to say that the state government is making efforts, while we demand more from the state government by seeing to it that the committee that was set up rounds up its activities and proffers lasting solution to this embarrassing conflict that has estranged closely related kinsmen, because Ilobu is an outgrowth of Ifon-Osun. Ayonu, the first Olobu, was an Olufon’s grandson settled in Ilobu by Olufon, and we remain closely related by blood.
“Conclusion, Mr. President, we believe that these clarifications will enhance your understanding. Moreover, the entire people of Ifon and Orolu Local Government are committed to cooperate with the government and security agencies towards security stability and peaceful co-existence. Also, we commend the efforts of all security agencies and glad that peace has now. returned to all affected communities.
“On a final note, it is our pleasure to seize this opportunity to commend your leadership and commitment to have re-engineered socio-economic system of our country and pledge our unalloyed support for your administration.
