No fewer than eight persons were reportedly matcheted, while others were injured in Tewure community, Orire Local government, Ogbomosho area of Oyo State, when hoodlums and thugs allegedly sponsored by the council chairman, Hon. Mrs Lidea Bankole attacked people in the community over land matters.
The council boss was allegedly in connivance with her predecessor, Hon. Odekanmi sponsored thugs who invaded Tewure’s community, which led to a clash between Ilorin extraction of Tewure and Ogbomosho’s people living in Tewure’s community.
The Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdul-Yekeen Oladipupo, while speaking with our correspondent in his palace confirmed that seven innocent Tewure’s indigenes, including the Baale of Tewure, Chief Lamidi Sanni had been arrested and remanded in prison over the issue.
According to the monarch, “The chieftaincy tussle started sometimes ago, but it came up again in 2019 when the immediate past chairman of Orire local government imposed his brother, Timothy Odekanmi as the Baale of Tewure against the wish of Tewure’s people who had in 2014 already installed their Baale, Chief Lamidi Saani without any crises.
The monarch noted that the present Orire Local government boss, Hon. Bankole, who hails from the same town (Ogbomosho) with her predecessor claimed that Tewure’s community and its environs belong to Ogbomosho and it should be controlled by Soun of Ogbomosho, not the Onikoyi.
Onikoyi, who is the permanent chairman of Orire Local Government Traditional Council maintained that Ikoyi was never among Soun of Ogbomosho’s jurisdiction, saying that only Onikoyi has control on Tewure and its environ, adding that Nigeria gazette of 1917 also affirmed this.
He said, “Ogbomosho was initially under Osun division, Ogbomosho discrit, while Ikoyi was under Oyo division, Ikoyi discrit, in fact, Soun was one of the part2 Oba’s then, and Onikoyi was a first class monarch in Ikoyi discrit.
Onikoyi however called on the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to intervene on the issue, called Hon. Bankole to order, and also released seven innocent Tewure’s people who were arrested and detained over the issue.
Meanwhile, the Caretaker Chairman, Orire Local Goverment, Hon. Mrs. Lidea Bankole while contacted on phone debunked the allegations, saying that all the allegations were false and malicious.
She noted that it was the cult group inaugurated by the Baale of Tewure, Chief Lamidi Sanni that unleached mahelm on the people, adding that the Law Enforcement agencies have started their investigation, and all the culprits have been arrested and remanded.
She said, “How will the Chief Security Officer of the Council hired thugs to attack his people? Tewure’s people had been living peacefuly before the baale from Ilorin extraction with the help of Onikoyi took loads of thugs to attack people.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Oyo Police Command, SP. Gbenga Fadeyi said that he didn’t have any details on the issue for now, promising to get back to journalists after investigation.
