Fresh hostility in Osun communities claims 1, despite security presence

THE seeming peace restored between the warring communities of Ipetumodu and Ashipa in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State was shattered, on Saturday, as a palm wine tapper was allegedly killed.

Sunday Tribune also gathered that the remaining parts of Akinola Market, Ipetumodu, which was razed on Friday during the communal clash that broke out between the communities, was completely burnt down on Saturday.

A credible source in Ipetumodu informed Sunday Tribune that fresh fight broke out in the evening of Saturday, leading to the alleged killing of a palm wine tapper, who was said to be from one of the states in the South-East.

According to the source, who pleaded for anonymity: “I am aware of the killing of the palm wine tapper, who had been tapping palm wine for over 40 years on palm trees on a piece of land given to him by Ipetumodu people.

“On Friday when the clash occurred, only four shops in Akinola market, located in Ipetumodu, were razed. But today, the remaining parts of the market have been completely burnt down.”

When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner for Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, said he was with the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police in Ipetumodu to sort out some issues and promised to get back to our correspondent.

A heavy security presence had surfaced in Ipetumodu and Ashipa communities, on Saturday, following the violent clash between the two communities on Friday.

When Sunday Tribune visited the communities earlier on Saturday, an Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) manned by policemen was sighted at a strategic  area between the neighbouring towns.

The hostilities, which started during an inter house sports competition on Wednesday at the Community High School, Ipetumodu, had spilled over to Friday, leaving no fewer than 12 persons with injuries sustained from gunshots.

It was gathered that all the injured were still receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospitals,  just as leaders of the warring communities traded blames over the cause of the hostility.

One of the leaders of Ipetumodu, Chief Asalu Adedeji, who spoke to Sunday Tribune said: “Peace has been restored and there is no problem again. On Friday, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, invited the leaders of both Ashipa and Ipetumodu to a meeting at his office at about 4pm.

“He did not apportion blame, but he charged us to maintain peace and order. Since then, we have been keeping to his instruction and you can see that normalcy has been restored. It is only that Ipetumodu people have always been at the receiving end anytime there is  this kind of hostility.”

When contacted on the number of arrests made in connection with the clash, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Osun State command, Mrs Folasade Odoro said she was not with details, promising to get back to our correspondent.

But as of press time, several calls put through to her cell phone were not answered.

Meanwhile, a statement by the state government,  said security agencies had resolved the crisis between the communities.

According to the statement signed by the director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, “The Asipa/Ipetumodu disagreement has nothing to do with the recent crisis which erupted as a result of the activities of some miscreants within the Yoruba and Hausa community in Ile-Ife.”

“The Ashipa and Ipetumodu communities are brothers and the communities have existed for centuries as brother communities. Government has been on top of issues causing the disagreement and we are convinced that our efforts have yielded the needed peace. What happened in the early hours of Friday was no more than another little disagreement which was nipped in the bud.