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By Abubakar Umar
The Osi Community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State has cautioned the neighbouring Igbede Community to desist from encroaching on its ancestral land.
President of the Osi Welfare Association, Arc. Olu Joseph Takiti, issued the warning at a press conference jointly organised by the Association and the Osi Youth Council.
The briefing was convened to address what the community described as false claims by the Odowa/Igbede communities over a portion of land belonging to Osi.
Arc. Takiti recalled that the Igbede Community was originally a compound within Odo-Owa Community before breaking away to become an autonomous community, stressing that such history does not confer ownership of Osi land on Igbede.
He urged the public to disregard allegations that the Osi people were trespassing on any land, insisting that available evidence shows that it is the Igbede people who have been encroaching on land belonging to Osi Community.
The Osi Welfare Association President called on relevant government authorities to urgently intervene in the matter to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
He also appealed to the Igbede Community to refrain from taking the law into their hands, advising them to seek redress through a competent court of law rather than resorting to violence.
Arc. Takiti emphasized that Osi Community does not share a boundary with Igbede Community, noting that Osi’s only recognised boundary in the area is with Iloffa Community.
He also debunked allegations that the Asiwaju of Osi and former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Samuel Olajide Afolayan (rtd), had deployed military or other security agencies to forcibly take over the land, describing such claims as false, misleading, and unfounded.
In his remarks, Vice Admiral Afolayan (rtd) called for proper identification and implementation of boundary demarcation between the concerned communities to prevent further disputes and guard against future encroachment.
