Many killed, several injured and properties worth over 2bn destroyed by hired war mercenaries
It’s with heavy hearts and sorrow that we the people of Ilobu, headquarters or Irepodun local government in Osun State, call on the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the Director of the Department of State Security, Adeola Ajayi to come to our aid as the incessant attacks from our neighboring communities are becoming nonstop.
On Friday morning, we woke up to sporadic gunshots from the people of Ifon-Osun and Erin-Osun Communities. Greater parts of Ilobu Community at Ganga, Idire, Apiponroro, Olobu market, Ayedaade were seriously invaded, houses and shops were burnt down and people of Ilobu were attacked with guns.
Very many people suffered gun shots wounds in the process. Children, women and the aged were seriously affected and thousands of people displaced from their homes and countless business outfits completely destroyed.
Unfortunately, the Erin-Osun community has also joined from behind, confirming it is a pre-planned and pre-meditated attacks on Ilobu Community. So, this time around, it is not about Ifon and Ilobu fighting over disputed land, it is about the determination of Ifon-Osun and Erin-Osun Communities to completely exterminate Ilobu Community.
The ongoing carnage and killing (it has not stopped), which has claimed several lives, displaced over 100,000 people and destroyed properties worth over N2bn, started on Thursday evening. The attackers became emboldened as our calls to the Osun State Government, Osun State Commissioner of Police and the Osun Security Network fell on deaf ears. The attacks and intrusion went for over 15 hours unchallenged.
It may interest the whole world to know that this is the eighth time our community has come under violent attacks in the last 18 months and there seem not to end in sight. We have lost no fewer than 30 souls within this period, with over 100 houses burnt to ashes.
We call on the Federal Government to come to our succor in protecting our community, we are defenseless and we don’t know what happens again tomorrow.
We also wish to call for succor from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the affected individuals and businesses. Videos of how our community has been overrun by the combined efforts of the Ifon-Osun and Erin Osun communities, are online.
We again call on the Osun State Government to act and prevent further carnage, intelligence from Ifon-Osun revealed that they are prepared to sustain the attack for days. The reign of Oba Peter Ipadeola Akinyooye has been bloody, catastrophic and his main focus seems to attempt to wipe off Ilobu.
Pastor Olufemi Salako
National President, IDU
