Farmers in the Ilobu community, headquarters of Irepodun local government area of Osun state, on Wednesday, December 6, protested against alleged harassment, intimidation, and looting of their farm produce by aggrieved indigenes of the Ifon community.

The Nation recalls that a communal clash ensued between Ilobu and Ifon communities over a land dispute which resulted in the loss of lives and property in October before the Osun state government intervened, ordering a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, after the clash, the crisis has extended to over 10 villages in Oyo state where residents of the two communities are engaged in farming activities.

The leader of the protesters; Basiru Adegbenro alleged that indigenes of Ifon are intimidating them with guns and other dangerous weapons, adding that, “after the war, people of Ifon community have been intimidating and harassing us, they burn our cash crop, loot farm produce, destroy our houses in the villages in Oyo state.

“They invaded Waale, Agana Amoo, Abebi, Oloso, Ojeyemi, Idi-Iroko, Bara, Toolu, Ikimon and Bada villages. They have turned us homeless and hopeless. We are poor now, we can hardly feed our family because the farm is the source of our livelihood.”

Similarly, the national publicity secretary of the Ilobu Development Union, Tairu Babatunde also disclosed that farmers of Ilobu farming in villages in Orolu local government are facing the same plight.

He demanded that the Osun state government and security operatives should intervene in the crisis before snowballing into another communal clash, calling for the arrest of perpetrators.

Meanwhile, reacting to the protests by farmers, the special adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on boundary matters, Bukola Onifade berated the claims that some lands belong to Oyo state, saying, “Osun state owned the land they claimed belongs to Oyo state. The people of Ilobu want to cede that land to Oyo State, and they have applied to a court for that. We have also warned people of Ifon not to chase anybody out of their land. ”

When contacted, by the Secretary of Ifon Board of Trustees, Jide Akinyooye, his phone number was out of reach and text messages put to his phone were not responded to as of when filing this report. (The Nation)

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