A renewed communal clash between the Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State over a long-running land dispute has reportedly resulted in three fatalities, including a former councilor named Azeez, and thirty gunshot injuries. The Nation remembers that the land dispute between Ifon, the headquarters of Orolu Local Government, and Ilobu, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government, has resulted in fatalities, injuries, and property destruction by arsonists in the past.
Due to eight separate clashes over the past 18 months, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has intermittently enforced curfews in response to the growing violence.
To mediate a sustainable peace, he also established a 100-member peace panel led by Comrade Waheed Lawal and Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the Ataoja of Osogbo. Adeleke loosened the dusk-to-dawn curfew to run from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on March 2, 2025.
Leaders of the two communities reportedly clashed over the disputed land on Monday, escalating tensions despite these efforts. Women and children were displaced when numerous homes in both communities were burned down by early Friday.
People were observed leaving their homes and moving to neighboring areas, such as Okini and Agunbelewo, when The Nation visited the border between the two warring towns.
The spokesperson for the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Peter Ilufemiloye, Akeeb Adekunle, responded to the most recent violence by accusing Ilobu residents of carrying out recurrent attacks.
“They have been attacking us since Monday. Despite our reports to the police, the attacks continued, and they even shot at law enforcement officers. We have written petitions to Governor Adeleke, urging him to intervene and resolve the matter peacefully,” Adekunle alleged.
As tensions remain high, community members and state authorities continue efforts to prevent further bloodshed.
“Yesterday, they attacked us again, we had a series of gunshots, they killed three of our people, one of them was razed inside her house, a man was hacked to death while an ex-councilor, Azeez was shot dead by Ilobu people. They even burnt government-owned primary health care in the Akinponroro area.”
Chief Leke Ogunsola, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, refuted the accusations in an interview, stating that “Ifon people attacked us first.” They have been attacking our people, including Agbere Onireke and Opapa, on their farmlands since Tuesday. They tried to kidnap a chief by attacking him, but nearby farmers saved him.
“On Wednesday, they went to a farm at Gbere to attack one Nureni and Oseni Saluwudeen, they burnt down two motorcycles which will reported at the police station in Ilobu.”
He added: “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, and they started burning and shooting our people. Mostly children and women were caught in this attack, they caught us unaware.
“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.”
When the spokesperson of Osun State Police Command, SP Akeem Adeola was contacted, he said: “In respect to resumption of hostilities in Ilobu and Ifon, the Osun State Command has deployed men to restore peace and order.”
Additionally, as Governor Adeleke called in their kings and other relevant parties, the Osun State Government enforced a curfew from dusk to dawn on the communities.
A statement by the government through the Commissioner of Information, Kolapo Alimi said: “Following a resurgence of the crisis between the warring communities of Ilobu and Ifon, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, announced a new curfew time frame from 6 pm to 6 am daily until lasting peace is restored.
“His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke, has expressed unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the breakout of fresh communal crises in Ilobu and Ifon.
