The Esa-Oke community in Osun State has called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to conduct an impartial and non-partisan investigation into the protracted boundary and chieftaincy disputes between the town and its neighbouring settlement, Ido-Ayegunle, located in Obokun Local Government Area of the state.
The community denied involvement in the recent violent attack that claimed four lives in the neighbouring town.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Chairman of the Esa-Oke Central Union, Yinusa Bamigboye, stated that the community has been a victim of years of encroachment and administrative inaction.
The call follows claims by the Olojudo of Ido-Ayegunle, Oba Timileyin Ajayi, who alleged that Esa-Oke youths carried out a brutal attack on June 19, 2025, leading to the deaths of four persons and injuries to others.
He accused the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran, of inciting the attacks to intimidate and subjugate the people of Ido-Ayegunle.
The people of Esa Oke and Ido Ayegunle have been at loggerheads since January, following the appointment of Ajayi as the Olojudo of Ido Ayegunle by the Osun State Government.
They wondered why a stranger had been appointed as the traditional ruler over the community located within Esa-Oke town.
Before the June 19 attack, some assailants had in February invaded Esa-Oke town and shot dead four residents while also leaving many others injured.
Chairman of the Esa-Oke Central Union, Yinusa Bamigboye, however, said that it was the Esa-Oke community that had long raised concerns about illegal occupation of its ancestral land and the controversial appointment of a non-indigene as monarch over Ido-Ayegunle.
He urged the state government to activate the peace panel that had been promised earlier and ensure a non-partisan investigation into the land and chieftaincy disputes.
According to him, state inaction and indifference shown by some government officials have contributed to the worsening of tensions between the communities.
He said, “There are false allegations that the crisis which broke out on Friday, June 19, was orchestrated by the Owamiran of Esa-Oke and members of his cabinet. I want to categorically state that the Owamiran of Esa-Oke has no involvement in the crisis. Neither the people of Esa-Oke nor any members of the Owamiran’s cabinet know anything about it.
“People should know that already three of our people were shot, and the case was reported at the local police station, but nothing came of it. My elder brother, who returned from the United Kingdom to farm, was abducted. Were it not for the intervention of local youths and the DPO, who knows what would have happened?
“The said Olojudo of Ido-Ayegunle, Timileyin Ajayi, is a native of Ilesa, being paraded as the king of Ido-Ayegunle. But in truth, he is not a king, just a chief. He refers to himself as Oba of Ido Ajegunle, but that title has no legal or traditional basis.
“We want peace. Lives have already been lost, but the primary goal is to prevent further violence in all the affected areas and in Osun State.
“The truth is, politics has polluted this matter. What should have been resolved locally between the two communities has been made worse by third-party actors. But by God’s grace, we believe the situation will be brought under control.”
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