Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Tuesday paid a condolence visit to Ido Ayegunle and Esa-Oke towns following the violent communal crisis.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Adeleke expressed sadness over the situation and assured residents that his administration would investigate the root causes of the crisis through a panel of inquiry.
DAILY POST reported that there was a deadly clash between indigenes of both communities early on Monday.
As a result of the clash, four persons lost their lives and twenty-five persons and seven police personnel sustained injuries and goods worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
Some sections of the Palace of Oba Adeyemi Adediran, the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba was also torched.
The clash was as a result of the state government’s decision to appoint Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi as the Olojudo of Ido-Ayegunle, in Obokun local government area of Osun State.
During the visit, Adeleke said, “There cannot be development in any community where violence thrives. Be rest assured that the state government will diligently investigate this matter, and anyone found culpable will face the full wrath of the law.”
The governor was accompanied by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye and heads of security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Nigeria Police, NSCDC, Amotekun, and local vigilantes.
In Ido-Ayegunle, Governor Adeleke assured residents of his government’s commitment to their safety, urging them to maintain peace and cooperate with authorities during investigations.
In Esa-Oke, he inspected the remains of the Owamiran of Esa Oke’s palace and his Toyota Highlander SUV, which were set ablaze by suspected arsonists.
During a town hall meeting in Esa-Oke, the governor emphasised the need for peace, warning that persistent violence could disrupt local economic activities, particularly those linked to the Osun State College of Technology.
He acknowledged the petition submitted by Esa-Oke residents and assured them that the government would address their concerns while ensuring lasting peace between the two communities.
Adeleke also commended law enforcement agencies for their swift response and reiterated his commitment to setting up a panel of inquiry to investigate the chieftaincy dispute involving Ido-Ayegunle.
Residents of Ido-Ayegunle who urged the governor to intervene in the crisis, alleged that people from Esa-Oke had been attacking them and preventing them from harvesting their farm produce.
In response, the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran, refuted allegations against him, stating that his palace was burned down by hoodlums and that he had never demanded money from anyone.
The Chairman of the Esa-Oke Central Union, Otunba Bamigboye Aremu, called on the governor to help reclaim lands allegedly taken by settlers from Ido Ayegunle.
He asserted that Esa-Oke is peaceful but insisted that Ido-Ayegunle remains under the traditional jurisdiction of the Owamiran of Esa-Oke.
Meanwhile, the Osun State government had through a statement by Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment released official documents affirming that the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, not the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, is the prescribed authority over Ido-Ayegunle.
The state government while vowing to prosecute those responsible for the arson and killings maintained that the Adeleke administration had merely followed due process in appointing the new Olojudo of Ido Ayegunle.
A state gazette from 2005 and other official memos confirmed that Ido-Ayegunle had no historical ties to Esa-Oke and had long been under the authority of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland.
The state government reiterated its commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring justice for all parties involved in the conflict.