Over 3,000 residents of Iloba and Oloosape communities in Osun State have appealed to both the federal and state governments to intervene in their long-standing displacement and help them return to their ancestral lands.
The residents, who are predominantly farmers, said they were forcefully driven out of their communities by hoodlums from Egbedi, a neighbouring town, during a violent attack in 2019.
Speaking to journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the Olu of Oloosape, Oba Hassan Adegoke, recounted the destruction that befell his people, revealing that almost all the buildings in both Iloba and Oloosape were razed, including his palace which was not spared in the attack.
According to him, the attacks have left the farmers homeless and unable to access their farmlands for nearly six years.
“We are not troublesome people. All we want is peace in Oloosape and Iloba,” the monarch said. “Since the incident, our people have abandoned their farms for fear of intimidation and violence. We can’t continue sleeping on the streets when we have homes and lands of our own.”
Oba Adegoke emphasized that the communities had always lived peacefully and denied any provocation, adding that there was no encroachment on Egbedi land.
However, he pleaded with the Timi of Ede and other traditional leaders to intervene and restore peace, saying, “Let them leave us alone. We want to go back to our farms.”
Also speaking, a community leader in Iloba, Mr. Adesoji Aderemi, refuted claims made by the Elegbedi, Oba Azeez, that the February 27 shooting in Egbedi, which injured about seven people, was carried out by individuals from Iloba and Ede.
He maintained that the Oloba family from Ede had lived peacefully in Iloba for years, farming alongside other settlers without conflict.
Aderemi further called for a thorough investigation into the continuous attacks and urged security agencies to identify and prosecute the perpetrators. He insisted that the Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Lawal, and the people of Ede knew nothing about the recent violence, stressing the need for an independent probe into the insecurity troubling the region.
Efforts to get a response from the Elegbedi, Oba Azeez, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered and messages sent to him remained unreplied at the time of filing this report.
