A violent confrontation between Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State has resulted in the deaths of three people, including a former councillor known as Azeez, and left 30 residents with gunshot injuries.
The renewed clash, triggered by a long-running land dispute between the two communities, has once again escalated tensions in the region.
Ifon, the headquarters of Orolu Local Government, and Ilobu, the seat of Irepodun Local Government, have long been embroiled in a bitter conflict over land, which has previously led to multiple deaths, injuries, and significant property damage through arson.
In response to escalating violence over the past 18 months, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke intermittently imposed curfews after eight separate clashes and established a 100-member peace panel, chaired by the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, alongside Comrade Waheed Lawal, to broker a lasting peace.
On March 2, 2025, Governor Adeleke relaxed the previous dusk-to-dawn curfew to a timeframe between 10 p.m. and 4 am.
Despite these measures, hostilities flared up again on Monday when community leaders reportedly clashed over the disputed land.
By early Friday, numerous houses in both communities had been set ablaze, forcing women and children to flee their homes and seek refuge in nearby areas such as Okini and Agunbelewo.
Speaking on the matter, Akeeb Adekunle, spokesperson for the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Peter Ilufemiloye, accused residents of Ilobu of launching persistent attacks. He alleged:
“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 further described the severity of the latest violence:
“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.”
In contrast, Chief Leke Ogunsola, spokesperson for the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, countered these claims by stating that the Ifon people initiated the hostilities. He claimed:
“Ifon people attacked us first. Since Tuesday, they have been attacking our people on their farmlands including Agbere Onireke and Opapa. They attacked a chief in 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, they burnt down two motorcycles which will 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, 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.”
Efforts to restore calm are underway.
SP Akeem Adeola, spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, confirmed that police have deployed additional personnel to the affected areas to restore peace and order.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has summoned community kings and stakeholders, and the state government has imposed a new curfew. According to a statement by the Commissioner of Information, Kolapo Alimi:
“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.”
