The people of Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Council, Osun State, have pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to put a final stop to the endless siege, pogrom and annihilation of their people by incorrigible ethnic militias from Ifon-Osun and Erin-Osun communities.

In an open letter addressed to the President, signed by the National President of Ilobu Asake Development Union (IDU), Pastor Olufemi Salako, the community appealed to the President to direct heads of security agencies to overhaul the security architecture in the state and replace them with competent and unbiased officers to man critical commands.

They also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of militias that invaded Ilobu town, stressing the urgent need for the protection of the lives and property of law-abiding citizens.

He said: “We want the President to direct the Chief of Army Staff to send his men to protect the country home of General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, who served this great country to the last day of his life.

“He should also direct the Chief of Army Staff to establish a command and control centre at Ilobu community to reinforce the security networks in Osun State.”

He noted that the last few days have been hellish for the people of Ilobu because the two neighbouring communities—Ifon-Osun and Erin-Osun—connived to descend on them through the logistic support provided by a prominent cabinet member of Governor Ademola Adeleke, who hails from one of the communities.

“This is the eighth time violent attacks have been unleashed on the innocent people of a town that has continued to contribute to the peace of this nation. Ilobu produced the late patriotic Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja, who died for this nation under mysterious circumstances. The immediate past Clerk of the National Assembly, Amos Ojo, among numerous others, hailed from this noble town. But rather than protecting the lives of Lagbaja’s kinsmen, the state government has looked the other way while the town burns.

“All cases taken to court since the 1970s over the useless land disputes, up to the Appeal Court, were all won by Ilobu. The state government seems to have been compromised. If not, how could the same crisis be happening for the eighth time in just 18 months under Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration without any meaningful action? Were there no governors before him? What has been his response so far?

“How could a governor set up a 100-member committee? Why not just take the matter to a market? The governor was also presented with uncontroverted evidence of bribery against members of the committee, but rather than removing the key bribe-taker, the governor was pleading for understanding and only removed two.”