The leadership of the Ido-Aiyegunle community in the Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State has disputed claims made by the Asiwaju of Esa-Oke, Chief Dosu Fatokun, regarding the ongoing boundary and chieftaincy dispute between the two communities.
Reacting to Fatokun’s recent interview with The Punch, the Ido-Aiyegunle Council of Chiefs described his remarks as “provocative, misleading, and historically revisionist,” and accused the Esa-Oke leader of peddling misinformation to distort the truth.
Spokesperson for the palace, Ibukun Ajayi, said in a statement on Wednesday that the people of Esa-Oke “cannot erase truth with repetition.”
“At your age, if you are still rewriting history, when will you stop misleading the public and face the facts?” Ibukun asked.
“The people of Ido-Aiyegunle have endured waves of unprovoked violence orchestrated by Esa-Oke youths. Our houses have been burnt, our farmlands destroyed, and our solar panels and community-installed CCTV systems vandalized.”
Ibukun confirmed that the attacks were captured by CCTV infrastructure installed in the community by its traditional ruler, Oba Timilehin Ajayi.
“All incidents are recorded and submitted to law enforcement. We are not making blind accusations; we have verifiable evidence,” he said.
He alleged that in one of the recent attacks, four residents were killed.
“Yet, rather than condemn these attacks, Chief Fatokun is spinning narratives of ‘settlers’ and false obaship to excuse the violence,” Ibukun added.
Responding to Fatokun’s rejection of Oba Timilehin Ajayi’s kingship, the community maintained that the monarch was duly appointed in accordance with Osun State’s Chiefs Law.
“His Royal Highness, Oba Timilehin Ajayi, is neither a stranger nor an impostor,” Ibukun stated.
“His late father, Oba Samuel Ajayi, ruled Ido-Aiyegunle peacefully for 25 years with official backing from the Osun State Government. His appointment was recognized through a gazette issued during the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola. It followed due process under the relevant legal and customary frameworks.”
He said attempts to delegitimise the monarch were “part of a long-running pattern of intimidation.”
The community also referenced findings by the Federal Boundary Commission (FBC), which, according to them, confirmed that the land in dispute falls within Ido-Aiyegunle territory.
“After thorough investigation, the Commission concluded that the valid boundary is the one depicted in Map B.A.C. XXII and in the 1932 Gazette, which follows the natural ridge of hills,” said Ibokun Ajayi, another palace representative.
“This boundary reflects what our ancestors and colonial records already established. The claims based on more recent maps, like sheets 243 and 244, were found to contain inconsistencies.” He added:
“I challenge the Asiwaju of Esa-Oke, the Owamira and their subjects to present anything that can counter the facts we have presented.”
Ibukun also stated that successive state administrations had reviewed the dispute and upheld Ido-Aiyegunle’s claim.
“Three consecutive governors have carefully examined this case because of Esa-Oke’s persistent troubles, and they all found the claim of Asiwaju Owamiran to be lies and untrue,” he said.
The community, through the statement, also denounced the label of “settlers” as an insult and historical falsehood.
“Our ancestors migrated from Ido-Irapa (now Ido Ajinare), and we have always identified culturally with the Ijesa,” the statement said.
“But let it be clear: we are not in Ido for any other reasons but the fact that it’s our land originally. We even attended our primary school education here before Esa-Oke youths burnt our school.”
Ibukun also dismissed any suggestion that the current tension is about mineral resources.
“We are not interested in gold. What we seek is peace, dignity, and the right to live and govern our community without harassment,” he said.
The statement also urged the Osun State Government to release the white paper of the inquiry panel that investigated the recent crisis and called for an end to police harassment of Ido-Aiyegunle indigenes.
“The people of Ido-Aiyegunle have suffered enough. Our farmers are routinely harassed and arrested based on frivolous petitions. We are law-abiding people who want justice and security,” Ibukun said.
He concluded with an appeal to Esa-Oke leaders to allow truth and peace to prevail.
“We will not be silenced by propaganda. We will continue to pursue justice within the law and defend the legacy of our forebears,” the statement concluded.
