The Ogun State government has appealed to urge its Ondo State counterpart to put an end to the incessant attacks on its communities.
Ogun government urged that of Ondo to caution its indigenes encroaching on Ogun territory and launching attacks on Ogun people in communities bordering the two states.
The Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who is also the Chairman of Ogun State Boundary Committe, made the appeal in a statement signed in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Friday.
According to Salako-Oyedele, the encroachment on Ogun communities comes with assaults on Ogun citizens, especially on residents of Irokun Kingdom, the attackers of whom she said were from the Ilaje end of Ondo State.
She condemned in strong terms, the imposition of Princess Adeyinka Abejoye Ogunyemi, as the regent in Irokun, describing it as “illegal and an act of impersonation.”
“Irokun, a kingdom in Ogun State, has its own traditional ruler, the Onirokun of Irokun, a member of our Ijebu Traditional Council,” she stated.
The Deputy Governor disclosed that the Onirokun, Oba Buari Olayinka Balogun, is the 8th Onirokun, saying he was installed since October, 2007.
“Irokun is very pivotal to Ogun State and the state government will not fold its hands and allow criminals to overrun it,” she affirmed.
Salako-Oyedele informed that she had discussed extensively with her colleague in Ondo over the crisis and it was resolved that the status quo should remain.
She added that she had written to the National Boundary Commission (NBC) asking it to identify and demarcate the areas in contention, based on historical facts and data in order to lay the crisis to rest.
“On no occasion will Ogun State government cede an inch of its land to Ondo State because of the activities of criminals who have been terrorizing Ogun indigenes on their land,” she asserted, stating that “the deliberate attempt by these lawless individuals to stoke crisis will fail.”
Ogun had in September 2022 resisted plans by Ondo State to install traditional rulers in Irokun, Obinehin, Idigbengben and Araromi seaside, saying the affected communities fall within Ogun Waterside LG.
Stop attacks on our communities – Ogun tells Ondo govt