The ongoing dispute between the Ifon-Osun and Ilobu communities has escalated, resulting in the tragic death of a student from the Department of Computer Science at Westland Polytechnic, Ilobu. The student, whose identity remains undisclosed, was reportedly killed on Thursday afternoon during renewed violence in the Oke-Ima area of Ilobu, located in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.
A statement released in Osogbo by Pastor Olufemi Salako, the National President of the Ilobu-Asake Development Union, and Mr. Tairu Babatunde, the union’s Public Relations Officer, accused individuals from the Ifon-Osun community of carrying out the attack. They called on the Osun State Government, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant authorities to take immediate action to address the crisis and ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.
According to the statement, heavily armed attackers stormed the Ganga and Oke-Ima areas around 11 a.m. on Thursday, firing indiscriminately at people and property. One of their victims was the student, whose identity has not yet been confirmed. The statement emphasized that the attack occurred less than two kilometers from the Olobu of Ilobu’s palace, in an area home to notable individuals, including former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuff.
“We urge the Osun State Government to summon the Olufon to answer for these unprovoked assaults, which have led to loss of life, injuries, and significant property damage over the past four days,” the statement read. “The unchecked violence is pushing our community to its limits.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union, Jide Akinyooye, denied the allegations, describing them as false. He accused hoodlums from Ilobu of destroying three motorcycles belonging to Ifon residents and insisted that Ifon residents were not responsible for the attack.
“These claims are untrue. Our community did not send anyone to attack Ilobu. Instead, it was hoodlums from Ilobu who seized and damaged three motorcycles belonging to Ifon residents. Security agencies must investigate thoroughly and identify those truly responsible,” Akinyooye stated.
Efforts to contact Yemisi Opalola, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, for comments were unsuccessful, as calls to her phone went unanswered at the time of this report.
