By Omoniyi David
The traditional ruler of Ifetuntun in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Taofeeq Osunmakinde, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over an alleged plot to destroy his community amid a longstanding boundary dispute.
Addressing journalists on Friday in Akure, Ondo State, the monarch raised the alarm over credible intelligence indicating an imminent attack on Ifetuntun by armed hoodlums allegedly acting on the orders of certain powerful individuals.
He called on the IGP to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators, stressing that the unrest stems from a protracted border dispute over a 30-mile expanse of land shared with a neighbouring community.
Oba Osunmakinde described Ifetuntun as a longstanding government-reserved area where he originally served as “Baale.”
He recalled that during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration in 2001, violent clashes between Ifetuntun settlers and the Ijebu community led to federal intervention.
The Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation subsequently demarcated the borders, allowing both sides to coexist peacefully.
He added that a chieftaincy inquiry in Osun State between 2008 and 2009 formally recognised Ifetuntun as a town.
In 2010, he was crowned monarch by the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, and was officially presented with a certificate and staff of office by the then-Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.
The monarch emphasized that Ifetuntun had enjoyed peace and stability under nine different administrations;military and civilian, until 2016, when violence erupted.
He accused a forest guard from the Ministry of Natural Resources of leading an attack that year, hiring thugs to burn homes and destroy property worth an estimated ₦2 billion.
Though some arrests were made, Oba Osunmakinde said the main suspects absconded, and the matter was eventually resolved out of court with the intervention of the Ooni of Ife and then-Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
The monarch also alleged ongoing harassment by hoodlums along the federal road linking Ife South to Ijebu West, accusing them of extorting commuters under the guise of acting on behalf of the state government.
He expressed deep concern that top government officials have issued threats to level the entire community within 24 hours.
He further alleged that operatives of Amotekun, acting on the commissioner’s instructions, were intimidating law-abiding citizens while turning a blind eye to the activities of armed thugs.
“We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. We have submitted petitions with evidence to his office, as well as to the Osun State and Federal Governments. We are law-abiding citizens and cannot take the law into our own hands.
“We seek justice and immediate government intervention,” Oba Osunmakinde stated.
