Osun community asks Tinubu to intervene in communal crisis

The Ilobu Asake Development Union (IDU) has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu over renewed communal clashes in Osun state.

The union asked Tinubu to intervene in the “unending siege, pogrom and annihilation” of the people of Ilobu, a town in Irepodun LGA of Osun state.

Last week, communal clashes in Ifon, and Ilobu communities led to destruction of properties and displacement of many people. The violent attacks escalated to Erin Osun.

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, had imposed curfew in the affected communities. The crisis was attributed to the long-standing land dispute in the affected communities.

‘OVERHAUL OSUN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE’

In the open letter published in The Nation on Monday, Olufemi Salako, the national president of IDU, said the court had ruled in the favour of Ilobu community in the age-long land dispute cases against Ifon and Erin Osun.

Salako said the people of Ilobu community are being “used to settle the political scores” arising from the crisis over the control of Osun LGAs.

The national president alleged that a senior official of the Osun state government, who is an indigene of Erin Osun, is providing logistics support for the violent attacks.

“On Thursday, the 18th of March, 2025, there was a joint attack on llobu Communities by the Ifon-Osun and the Erin-Osun Communities,” the letter reads.

“Our people were smoked out of their homes, shot, displaced and their property burnt down. The effect of the unprovoked war had caused llobu collateral damage in terms of the huge humanitarian chaos that had resulted in annihilating the defenseless community.

“Our immediate finding is that our people are being used to settle political scores arising from the control of the political souls of the local governments in Osun State.

“Coincidentally, our son was one of the parties at the Court of Appeal in the case between APC & 3 ORS V. PDP & 3 ORS with Appeal No. CA/AK/270/2022, determined on the 10th day of February 2025 by the Court of Appeal

“We have reasons to believe that a senior Osun state government official who happens to be a native of the Erin-Osun Community has been giving logistic support to the siege, pogrom, and annihilation of llobu Community.

“This position is confirmed by the failure of the government to deploy security resources in timely fashion to protect the lives of the llobu People, a community that is just 8 kilometers from Abere Government House.

“We humbly appeal to your government to come to our aid by doing the following: Directing the heads of the security agencies to overhaul the security architecture of Osun State and replace them with competent, proactive, and unbiased officers to head the critical Commands in Osun State.

“Immediate arrest and prosecution of the ethnic militias that invaded Ilobu Community,

“Directing the Chief of Army Staff to send his men to protect the Country Home of General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. who served this great country to the Inst day of his life.

“Directing the chief of army staff to establish a command and control centre at the llobu Community to reinforce the security networks in Osun state.”