Some Ondo towns of the Ikale-speaking areas of Ago-Alaye, Agirifon and Basola in Odigbo Local Government have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.

In a petition by their lawyer, Olusanmi Tobase, they alleged bias in the handling of a communal clash with the neighbouring Araromi Obu, who had been trespassing into their land.

According to a copy of the petition received at the Force Headquarters, in Abuja, on July 25, and made available to journalists, trouble started on July 16 when a group of Ikale young men and their tenants were on their way to hunt and farm on their land located along the road to Araromi Obu.

The petition said: “While on their way, they were ambushed by some Araromi Obu boys who were armed with all manner of guns, including sophisticated ones, machete and axes. On the road, they halted our clients and requested their mission and our clients asked them of the basis for the questions. The response was a volley of gunshots on our clients.

“In the ensued melee, our clients were forced to defend themselves even as they fled, but it was not without serious and life-threatening injuries to them. In the process, the Araromi Obu boys deployed a sharp object on one of our clients and ripped open his bowels.”

The petitioners stated that it was not the first time the people would be attacked on their land which was duly awarded to them via a court judgment.

They alleged that their people, who were victims of the unprovoked attack, had been placed under 24-hour curfew by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, hounded all over and dumped in prison while Araromi Obu where the aggression originated had been given a field day, so much that Ikale citizens resident there had been forced to flee for their lives.

They stated that an earlier petition sent to the Commissioner of Police in the state had not been acted upon.

The petition added: “It is to redress this one sided and extremely oppressive investigation that we write to you to save our clients souls.

“It has become a pattern that when our clients are attacked, it is covered up by powerful forces but every time our clients act in self-defence or exercise a given right against Araromi Obu people, all hell is let loose.

“Without hearing our clients’ side of the story, the governor placed our clients’ community of Ago Alaye under 24-hour curfew after visiting Araromi Obu. As soon as the governor left, Araromi Obu boys resumed their acts of violence against the Ikale, using the MOPOL.

“While the Araromi Obu enjoy the license, our Ikale clients are being hounded and detailed on the charge of murder of Araromi Obu boys who allegedly died in the attack they launched on our clients.

“We have our clients’ instruction to place the above facts before your esteemed office for impartial consideration and necessary actions as nothing generates peace like justice. It is difficult to keep repressing a people and getting them to keep quiet.” (The Nation)

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