The Oyo State Government on Thursday waded into the age-long land dispute in Afijio, Oyo East and Oyo West local government areas of the state, asking all parties to ceasefire.

The Acting Governor of the State, Mr Bayo Lawal gave the directive when he convened an emergency meeting of stakeholders at the governor’s office, Ibadan, over recent violence and threats over the disputed land boundary.

The upsurge in violence had seen clashes in villages, communities of Keseni, Ago Oyo, Iseke, communities spanning across the three contending local government areas.

The crisis in Oyo zone had resulted in communal clashes accompanied by the destruction of houses, farmlands over issues relating to boundary trespass.

The clashes had festered with the various parties holding on to various court orders, judgments, and documents to affirm their ownership of the contending landed areas.

After listening to the presentations of the various parties, the Oyo acting governor sued for peace, asking all the parties to submit to the state government the various judgments, reports of commissions of inquiry they were implementing which was causing violence.

Lawal assured that upon analysis of the documents, and evidence provided, the state government would take a position, within the next two weeks.

Pending the state government’s position, Lawal said the local government chairmen of the three concerned local government areas have been directed to forestall further violence in their domains.

He noted that the state government already had its hands full dealing with banditry, kidnapping and illegal mining to now have to deal with boundary disputes.

Lawal, however, warned that the state government would not tolerate any individual or group threatening the relative peace in the state.

He urged traditional rulers, community leaders to synergize with the government to tackle crimes and criminalities in the state.

Speaking in the same vein, the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Mr Demola Ojo said the meeting became imperative to forestall further breakdown of law and order in the affected communities in the three local government areas.

The meeting was attended by government representatives, local government chairmen, leaders and elders of the concerned warring communities. (Nigerian Tribune)

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