Communal Land Dispute: Ondo Monarch Escapes Death

The traditional ruler of Araromi Obu in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Aderemi Adelola, last Tuesday narrowly escaped death when some irate youths attacked his convoy.

The first class traditional ruler was said to have been attacked by youths suspected to be from Ikale community, who allegedly took laws into their hands over the existing communal land dispute.

The monarch was said to have run into a road block allegedly mounted by the youths while returning to his community after attending a meeting in Akure, the state capital.

Addressing journalists in Akure, a community leader, Senator Omololu Meroyi, said the irate youths had in the morning attacked indigenes of Araromi Obu with dangerous weapons.

He alleged that youths from Ikale community had been terrorising them since the judgment of an Akure High Court which ceded parts of the land in dispute to the Ikale.

He, however, said the activities of the Ikale youths was in defiance of the fact that the judgment had been appealed just as stay of execution was obtained.

Meroyi, who was flanked by former Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Hon Omololu Falolu, and other community leaders, alleged that youths from Ikale had been invading farms belonging to Araromi Obu people and harvested their crops.

He said the activities of the youths got to the violent level last Tuesday when the irate youths attacked people of Araromi Obu who were going to their farms.

Meroyi said during the attack, two persons were killed, eight others injured just as five houses and three cars belonging to indigenes of Araromi Obu and their farming at Ago Alaye were burnt.

"As I am addressing you, our people living at Ago Alaye cannot go their farms while many other have fled the community for fear of being attacked.

"We are not cowards but we decided to take the lawful manner to resolve the matter as civilized people by going to court.

"We are surprised that this attack took place despite various letters sent to the state Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Ondo State Government on the activities of the youths who took laws into their hands trying to enforce the judgment that had been appealed.

"We are hereby using this medium to cry for intervention of the government and security agencies as the level of insecurity in the land is enough to give concern to reasonable people," he said.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, said the police were aware that the two communities were fighting.

He said the command has drafted both regular and mobile policemen to the area to maintain peace in the area, adding that normalcy had returned to the area since last Tuesday.