The peaceful atmosphere of Ogburu, a community in Osun and a boundary town between the state and Oyo state is now being threatened with crisis over an outburst of an indigene of Ibadan land, one Oyebamiji on a radio programme that the community belongs to Ibadan, Oyo state and not Iwo in Osun state.
The development is now creating tension in the community as indigenes of the place vowed to resist any move by Ibadan people to encroach on their forefathers’ land.
The community people poised for war against whosoever that might want to lay claim to their town called on the appropriate authorities to call Oyebamiji or whosoever that might have been behind him to order before it degenerates into crisis.
They specifically charged the duo of governor Ademola Adeleke and his Oyo state counterpart, Seyi Makinde, to do their best in averting looming communal war in the town.
As a result of this, all traditional rulers from Osun state around the area, Oloja of Agberire, Oba Jacob Alajide; Alakinleye of Akinleye, Oba Abiodun Taofeeq Nafiu; Ologburo of Ogburo, Oba Asimiyu Sodeeq Agboluaje; Agbodowu of Foritaje, Oba Oyeniyi Amoo; Alawuje of Awuje, Oba Hamzat Mikhail Abidogun; and Olota of Ilota, Oba Adetunji Suhaib Akano converged at the town to condemn the outburst they described as unexpected and uncalled for and frowned at Oyebamiji whom they claimed lacks knowledge of history.
Speaking on their behalf at a press conference in the town, a former chairman of Iwo local government, Alhaji Tajudeen Babatunde, called on the two governors of the states to checkmate the activities of those that are planning to cause disunity between Oyo and Osun states.
According to him, “the claim that the community belongs to Ibadan in Oyo is capable of arousing communal dispute if not urgently checkmated because efforts had been made by some villages to shift allegiance to Oyo state in the past.”
He affirmed that Ogburo belongs to Odun and not Oyo state Ibadan saying, “Historically and legally, Ogburo belongs to Iwo in Osun state. Our forefathers came from Ile-Ife. Including the present King, ten Kings had reigned in Ogburo and they were all installed by Oluwo of Iwo. No one was installed by Olubadan.
“During a case between Oba Ogundiran, the Ologburo Apelujo, in 1937, when the then Oluwo went to the court to witness against Ogundiran. It was then that Ologburo Apelujo decided to shift his allegiance to Ibadan and he couldn’t achieve his aim before he died.
“The third Ologburo Bankole in 1941 said he wanted to shift his allegiance to Ibadan. The whole town divided but the majority rose against him that they belonged to Iwo. Unfortunately, he died in 1962 and since then till 2005, we haven’t had any monarch.
“In 2006, the Oluwo of Iwo installed the present Ologburo. The state government of Osun provided all amenities in the town.”
“The Osun and Oyo state should warn those that are planning to cause dispute. Whoever cares should go for a referendum to know the facts.
“We have gone to the court several times and we won. Some villages tried to shift loyalty to Ibadan and we dragged them to court and we won. Because of the long distance of the vacant stool of Ologburo, some villages tried nonsense and we made them know through legal means that we owned the lands,” he concluded.
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