…peace report will be ready soon—panel chairman
Traditional rulers from the warring communities of Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun have officially joined the Resolution Panel set up by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to bring lasting peace to the region’s lingering land dispute.
The Nation recalls that tension between Ifon in Orolu Local Government Area and Ilobu in Irepodun Local Government has led to repeated clashes, resulting in loss of lives and destruction of property. In response, Governor Adeleke constituted a peace panel to mediate the conflict and end the longstanding hostilities.
The traditional rulers—Oba Peter Akinyooye of Ifon, Oba Ashiru Olaniyan of Ilobu, and Oba Yusuf Omoloye of Erin-Osun—have now joined the committee in a bid to help find a permanent resolution. The panel is chaired by the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, and co-chaired by prominent human rights activist, Comrade Waheed Lawal, with support from four other monarchs in the state.
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Sources confirmed that this marks the first time the monarchs—Olufon, Olobu, and Elerin—were physically present at the committee’s meeting. They expressed their commitment to peace and pledged to cooperate fully with the government’s peace initiative.
While some contentious issues remain unresolved, the panel secured a strong commitment from the royal fathers, who have agreed to embrace compromise and prioritise peace.
Speaking after the meeting, Co-Chairman Waheed Lawal noted that the panel has engaged extensively with residents of the three communities and visited the disputed buffer zones fueling the crisis, as part of ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting resolution.
“The committee, as it was, is not just sitting to listen to grievances. We have visited the disputed areas and also collected the written submissions from the towns, which were adopted by their representatives.
“We have also met with the traditional rulers from the communities, but the details of our meeting will be made public later during the submission of our report to the government, which will be very soon. We are hopeful that this step would ensure a lasting solution to the persistent crisis in the areas.”