is yet to abate, the Attah of Ayede, Oba Abdumumini Orisagbemi, has
called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris to save
him for suspected hoodlums threatening to either kill or implicate
him over the lingering crisis.
Oba Orisagbemi, who lamented the death of three persons in connection
with the bloody dispute, accused the indigenes of Itaji Ekiti of
allegedly instigating the police to carry out mass arrest of his
subjects while also threatening to frame him up into the murder cases.
One Oladipo Popola, a native of Ayede Ekiti was last week shot dead
on an encumbered portion of land at Egan, a farmstead belonging to
Ayede, which Itaji people wanted to reclaim on the premise that it
was ceded to their neighbour (Ayede) by their forebears.
The third day, another farmer was beheaded at Orisunmibare in Itaji,
which stoked suspicion that it could be a reprisal attack over
Popoola's death on the land .
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, the monarch appealed
to Governor Ayodele Fayose to constitute a commission of enquiry to
ascertain the actual owner of the contentious land in Egan to avert
further bloodshed.
Oba Orisagbemi, who is the Chairman of the Traditional Council in Oye
Local Government, appealed to the IG to direct his men to do their job
professionally and stop taking side in the matter.
"It marvels me that the police could be arresting my subjects over
the death of a farmer at Orisunmibare even when they knew that one
Asiwaju of Orisunmibare actually shot Popoola in their presence.
"The police gleefully arrested my people for being allegedly
responsible while they failed to arrest anybody in connection with
Popoola's death, who was shot in the presence of the police at Egan.
"The whole Oye local government knew that Egan belonged to Ayede Ekiti
and the Itaji must prove that they ceded the land to us in 1845
through proper documents.
"I want to appeal to IGP to save me from embarrassment because my town
in under siege. Seven persons have been arrested and detained even
when the police knew who carried weapons to Egan when the crisis
started.
"Orisunmibare to our town over five kilometers. After this
incident, someone was beheaded in Omu. Was my people responsible for
that as well? These and many more
are what the IGP should consider in this matter", he said.
The monarch lamented that the two towns had co-habited peacefully for
several years, saying the crisis is straining his relationship with
the Onitaji, which he described as very unfortunate.
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