By Ahmed Ajikobi and Kayode Adeoti
No fewer than 21 people including two policemen and one Naval officer sustained injuries Tuesday night and yesterday morning following a clash that broke out over land dispute between neighbouring communities of Offa and Ijagbo in Offa and Oyun local government area of Kwara State respectively.
No fewer than 10 buildings including the Offa Central hotel, 12 cars and motorcycles were either burnt or destroyed in the mayhem even as both communities continue to count their loss.
Also, commercial activities were paralysed in both communities for the fear of reprisal attack.
This medium gathered that there was exchange of gun shots by local hunters from both communities which lasted till the afternoon leaving the entire area deserted.
Motorists plying Ijagbo/Offa/Osogbo/Lagos routes were diverted by transport unions as a result of the development even as atmosphere of tension and pandemonium enveloped the two warring communities.
On the major streets of Ijagbo and Offa, there wreckage of burnt vehicles and motorcycles were noticed just as windows were shattered while shop owners lamented the vandalisation of their goods.
Narrating his experience, a petrol station operator at Ijagbo, Abimbila Orimolade, said scampered for safety after irate youths stormed his fuel station destroying property worth N3m.
“I ran away when I heard sporadic gunshot, they vandalised my station and two dispensing pulp were also destroyed,” he said.
Also, one Mrs Salawu Beatrice Olufunke lamented that her Toyata Camry was shattered during the mayhem.
In his account, a resident of Offa, Adeniyi Joshua, berated the security agencies in the area for poor management of the crisis.
He said, his two vehicles parked at the boundary of the two communities were razed.
The clash is coming barely a year when Offa was enmeshed in boundary crisis with another neighbouring community; Erinle in which property worth millions of naira were razed.
But why does a land or boundary issue, over the years, cause mayhem between two sister communities in the area?
Responding, the National Secretary Ijagbo Descendant Union (IDU), Alhaji Muritala Olanrewaju alleged that Offa community is laying claim to a land portion that is not theirs.
“For long, we have boundary problem with Balogun family in Offa, and initially, we were bordered by Asa household, of a sudden, Balogun overlapped them and they started terrorising our people.
“The Baloguns continued to disturb our people who they claimed have built houses on a contentious land. The land in contention is situated at Oke Afan area, in Ijagbo. They are also claiming ownership of Ijagbo railway station, Breweries limited, Adeleke Ayeni and Aperun village,” he stressed.
Olarewaju further disclosed that, four days ago, a block industry belonging to an indigene of Ijagbo on the said land was destroyed including the community town hall.
Responding to the allegations are youths of the Balogun family in Offa who do not want their names in print. According to one of them, they played no role in unleashing terror on indigenes of Ijagbo.
He explained that many years ago, Balogun allocated the said land at Lamodi for the construction of Community Secondary School adding that indigenes of Ijagbo have since converted same into personal use and even selling portions of it.
“For those that bought the land, we have warned them severally to vacate the place. When they refused, we decided to fence it but to our surprise, the Ijagbo people have gone to the place to destroy the fence.
“We had meetings twice in which the concerned community leaders were present, but it yielded no result,” he divulged.
In his response, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mustau Gbadamosi Esuwoye, who spoke through his media aide, Yusuf Babatunde condemned the crisis saying it is uncalled for.
According to him, the two communities have existed for long as sisters.
“There is no cause for crisis between Offa and Ijagbo, we have strong synergy, we see ourselves as sister communities because we exchange things together traditionally and culturally from ancient times.
“What caused this mayhem is uncalled for. The two communities need to sit down and find a lasting solution to whatever might have caused the problem,” Olofa aides said.
Meanwhile, a police source yesterday informed our reporter that the Kwara State Police command has summoned leaders of the warring communities to the police headquarters today for investigation on the matter.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has warned that it will deal decisively with perpetrators of the communal clash.
Governor Ahmed, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, expressed concern over the โunwarranted and avoidable actsโ in the two communities.
He expressed concerns that some individuals could take laws into their hands despite various established platforms to seek redress and settle emerging communal matters.
The Governor directed security agencies in the state to arrest and bring perpetrators of the crises to justice, and restore law and order in the communities adding that “government will not allow any breach of peace, harmony and tranquility under any guise in the state”.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Lawan Ado in a statement he issued and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi said peace meeting was organised by Chairman Oyun Local Government Olatunji Omokanye, the Area Commander and other stakeholders.
“However, violence erupted while the meeting was in progress and sounds of gun fire rented the air. The hoodlums shot at the security agents deployed to maintain peace and in the process two policemen and a naval officer were injured and rushed to the hospital for treatment.โ
The statement however said no civilian casualty was recorded and more policemen have been drafted to the crisis area to maintain peace. He added that some suspects have been arrested to help the police in investigation.
The CP however assured members of the public of their safety, while advising the citizens of the two communities to embrace peace.
Meanwhile a police source last night confirmed the arrest of 15 suspects in connection to the clash.
Effort to confirm the numbers of those arrested from the police spokesman, Okasanmi however proved abortive as calls put to his mobile phone and text message sent to him was not attended to as at the time filling up this report.
