On Wednesday, the Ilobu community in Osun State accused several members of the government-appointed mediation panel of making concessions in order to end the long-running communal conflict between the town, Ifon, and Erin towns.
The panel was established by the government in response to a recurring crises in the impacted areas caused by boundary disputes.
There were 25 representatives from the Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun communities on the panel and the government chose Justice Moshood Adeigbe, the Chairman of the State Boundary Commission, as the co-chairman of the 100-member panel, and Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, the Ataoja of Osogbo, as its chairman.
The Bara of Ilobu, Chief Ashiru Jimoh, and three other people signed the letter, which was addressed to Governor Ademola Adeleke. It says: The Chairman, Co-Chairman and a member, namely Special Adviser (Security) of the committee and some other members yet to be identified have, in the course of performing the assignment of the committee, been seriously compromised.
“Our genuine fears and complaints are also borne out of the outbursts of the chairman, co-chairman and counsel representing the Ifon-Osun community in the committee against Chief Adegoke Ogunsola, the counsel that represented the llobu community at the sitting of the committee on 3-1-2025 and the ways and manners the chairman and co-chairman of the committee handled the meeting of the committee that took place on the same date as if the committee is a court of law.
“The outbursts, to say the least, are suggestive of and taken as insults to the Ilobu community. Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor had, deliberately in many fora, before and after the setting up of this committee, propagated lies and some uncomplimentary remarks and cast aspersion about the existence and history of the llobu community, even before the committee commenced its assignment.
“Consequent to the above, therefore, our client hereby gives notice to Your Excellency of the withdrawal of llobu’s representatives from the committee from 4-1-2025 and subsequent proceedings of the committee, but assure Your Excellency of our client’s readiness to step down their objection and resume participation in the sitting committee when the government of Osun State addresses our complaint as demanded in this letter.”
People from the Ifon and Erin communities said they trusted the committee to handle the issues and resisted calls to remove any resolution panel members.
“We, the people of Ifon-Osun and Erin-Osun, categorically state that we vehemently oppose the halting of the work of the committee or the removal of any of the 25 members appointed by the government.
“We enjoin the state government to be decisive and resolute in following its own rules and regulations. Parties who had objections to any of the members appointed by the governor had the window of opportunities to do so before the 24th of January, 2025.