The Esa-Oke community has called on the Osun State Government to resolve the ongoing land dispute before proceeding with the appointment of a monarch for Ido Ajegunle.
Speaking through their lead counsel, Barrister Gbite Adeniyi, the community urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to immediately suspend the appointment of Prince Timi Ajayi as the Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle.
According to the Esa-Oke community, this is the only way to maintain peace in the settlement.
The controversy arose following the Osun State Government’s decision to install Ajayi, a native of Ilesa, as the monarch of Ido Ajegunle, a village that traditionally belongs to Esa-Oke.
Barrister Adeniyi insisted that the government should allow all pending court cases on the matter to be resolved before appointing any ruler for the disputed settlement.
He emphasized that since the matter is already before a competent court, Governor Adeleke has no legal authority to install a Baale or monarch in Ido Ajegunle.
He further argued that appointing a monarch while the case is still in court would amount to judicial prejudice.
The legal practitioner highlighted that the land dispute involves not just Esa-Oke and Ido settlers but also the Efon Alaaye community in Ekiti State.
He referenced a Supreme Court ruling that mandated the Ido Ajegunle people to pay royalties to the Alaaye of Efon, suggesting that they might have settled in Esa-Oke territory after losing the legal battle.
According to Barrister Adeniyi, the rightful authority over the disputed settlement lies with the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, not the Owa of Ilesa.
He insisted that the land belongs to Esa-Oke, and any decision on its leadership should be made by Esa-Oke’s traditional institution.
In response to the growing unrest, Governor Adeleke initiated an investigation into the conflict, forming a panel of inquiry that visited the disputed village on Tuesday.
Led by Hon. Ropo Oyewole, the panel urged both parties to seek an amicable resolution.
During the visit, Oyewole appealed for peace and assured the communities of a fair and impartial investigation.
Despite the panel’s intervention, the Esa-Oke community reiterated that the government should allow legal proceedings to run their course before installing any traditional leader.
“There is a court case filed by the same Ido settlers against both Esa-Oke and Efon Alaaye people. The government should stay action on appointing anybody as the king of the town,” They stated.
Tensions in Ido Ajegunle remain high as both communities continue to contest ownership of the settlement.
The Esa-Oke delegation, comprising Barrister Gbite Adeniyi, Chief Ajewole (Asalu of Esa Oke), Chief Tayo Omojowogbe (Basorun of Esa Oke), Chief Yinka Olabisi (Obaala Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle), and Otunba Yinusa Bamgboye, closely examined the claims presented by the Ido settlers.
During the panel’s visit, inconsistencies in the Ido settlers’ claims were identified.
One major point of contention arose when the settlers pointed to an ancient trench as evidence of their ancestral settlement.
However, questions were raised about the ownership of nearby cocoa plantations, which were confirmed to belong to Esa-Oke farmers, Chief Alegbeleye and Mr. Ogunleye (Alawo).
The Ido settlers could not refute these claims.
Another contentious issue was the ownership of a desolate primary school in the settlement.
While the Ido settlers claimed the school was built by Roman Catholic Nigeria, the Esa-Oke delegation countered that it was originally built by the Roman Catholic Church in Esa-Oke and later redeveloped by Obokun Local Government.
This claim also went uncontested by the Ido settlers.
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