No fewer than two people have been killed, and many others severely wounded in a fresh communal clash between Ifon and Ilobu communities of Osun State over land disputes.
The violence erupted in the middle of the night on Thursday when hoodlums armed with sophisticated firearms and dangerous weapons including charms, cutlasses, bows and arrows, organized themselves into formidable groups to unleash terror on one another.
They engaged in a fierce battle around the Odo-Oje area, which marks the boundary between the two communities, shooting at each other indiscriminately.
During the chaos, a filling station known as Olubuse Filling Station, houses, motorcycles were set ablazed and a couple was severely beaten.
Residents in the vicinity vacated their homes and businesses for safety as some sustained bullet wounds, while others were attacked with machetes and beaten with charms to inflict harm.
Commenting on the situation, Chief Adegoke Ogunsola, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, stated that the Ifons had launched an attack on the people of Ilobu.
He said; “the trouble began last Tuesday when Ifon residents assaulted an indigene of Ilobu who was trying to rebuild his home.
“Ifons also attacked a couple on their motorcycle, beat them severely, and burnt their motorcycles to ashes.”
Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to Olufon confirmed that a primary health center in Ifon-Osun was destroyed by the attackers who invaded the community overnight.
He reported heavy gunfire in the area and acknowledged that there were casualties, although he could not comment on the exact number at the time of reporting.
Meanwhile, the police are said to have swung into action to maintain law and order as of the time of filing this report.
Two community leaders from both communities, Adesoju and Olatunde, who spoke with our correspondents, appealed to the security agents and the state government to act fast on the matter.
The two spokespersons who spoke to our reporter claimed that two unidentified individuals had reportedly been shot dead, causing widespread apprehension throughout the communities.
When contacted for comments, the new spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Adeoye Ademola, said the police have been drafted to the troubled zone to ensure orderliness.
