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Odo-Eku Community is a peace loving Community. This is an undisputed fact that is well known by every other Communities in Isin, Ifelodun and Irepodun Local Government Areas as well as the entire Igbomina land of Kwara State, near and far. Iwo Community equally recognizes this visible and noticeable quality of Odo-Eku. It is this peaceful minds of Odo-Eku Community that Iwo Community is taking advantage of that makes it to be troubling the peace of Odo-Eku and making all possible efforts to destablize the Community.
It is also a known fact that Odo-Eku and Iwo are neighbouring towns. They are not just neighbouring towns but also lovely related towns during the period of our forefathers due to their kindness with a clear cut boundary at *Saara-Nla* along Odo-Eku and Iwo/Sabaja Road.The traditional boundary is not equally divided with Iwo having more than half way to each Community. The historical factors that led to that would be revealed at the appropriate period and place but very few will be revealed here for the benefits of the people who are not familiar with Isin LG. The good and cordial relationships between the two communities even led to intermarriages amongst them.
What amuses one in the write-up by Iwo is the unsubstantiated and fabricated lies that the community usually have each time they have the opportunity of talking to innocent people, especially people who don’t know anything about the terrain of the area.
What also usually amuses one is, Iwo claiming land-lordship on Odo-Eku!! It didn’t stop there, Iwo is at logger heads with *several surrounding communities like* Oke-Aba, Oba, Pamo, Odu-Ore, Owu, among others, on the issues of land. That is far too much, unless Iwo Community wants to turn itself to a terror to be terrorizing, invading and annexing other Communities as was tactically done to Sabaja which was ignored by constituted authority. *With all these they always insist, especially the Oniwo, that they are not Isin but they are in the midst of Isin land.* *(What a laughable statement?)*
Iwo Community usually and ignorantly claims boundary with Ora and Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area. What is then the position of Oke-Aba and Iwo Odu-Ore in Isin Local Government Area and other towns such as Ofarese and Obin-Irese in Ifelodun Local Government Area within the vicinities?
A simple fact is that where was Iwo Community in the sixteenth century? Let any Geographer or any positive and unbiased minded persons look for Nigeria Map of sixteenth century. Conscpicously is *Odo-Eku highlighted on the map.* For the purpose of clarity and for people not familiar with our area, please try to look for the Map for people of intelligence to judge. *IWO WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND ON THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY MAP OF NIGERIA*. That simply answers the question of who settled in the area first between Odo-Eku and Iwo.
If Odo-Eku doesn’t claim land-lordship on Iwo, then it should not be the other way round.
More facts to be released later at the appropriate time and place.
*The Issue at Hand – The Murdering of Mr. Abdulfatai Jimoh Bamigboye by Iwo People:*
The self acclaimed but unrecognized “barbaric local terror” that Iwo Community wants to turn itself to has made it to act with flagrant impunity to both Local, State and Federal constituted authorities of the Federation.
Iwo township to Odo-Eku is about twelve kilometers. Odo-Eku to River Oyi on the way to Igbaja/Wale/Ofarese in Ifelodun Local Government Area is about another ten kilometers. That means that Iwo to River Oyi is over twenty kilometers.
Iwo is not claiming only the ownership of the land between it and Odo-Eku (the first twelve kilometers) but also claiming ownership of the second ten kilometers up to River Oyi after Odo-Eku. What an insatiable greedy local terrorist act!!
Iwo wants to make Odo-Eku an island, just like what they did to Sabaja. This can not be and would never be. Is this not ridiculous and unimaginable? It is rather a wild goose chase and a dream that would never materialize.
Isin Traditional Council has made several efforts to resolve this issue but Iwo Community *jettisoned all the recommendations* of the Isin Traditional Council.
The self acclaimed and unrecognized “local terror”, Iwo wanted to use late Chief Joel Afolabi Ogundeji, a former Deputy Governor of Kwara State, to forcefully annex Odo-Eku through a mushroom Boundary Adjustment Committee under his Chairmanship cum Deputy Governor of Kwara State without success.
It was the action of the former Deputy Governor that led Odo-Eku Community to challenge the biased decision of the Committee, which was manipulated by Mr Joel Afolabi Ogundeji, being the Chairman, by virtue of his being the Deputy Governor, to favour his home town, Iwo. The decision was never gazette. Who then says that corruption has a limitation? That is one of the numerous crises created by Mr Joel Ogundeji as the Deputy Governor and as a representative of Kwara South. We hope the present Government in Kwara State will put a permanent end to such deliberate impunity and abuse of office.
The Kwara State High Court ruled in favour of Odo-Eku that the two Communities should maintain the original status quo.
That ruling of the High Court made Iwo Community to appeal the judgement. The Court of Appeal didn’t make any definite judgement because our Lawyer was not given any copy of the judgement till date.
When Iwo Community was jubilating unnecessarily and in order for Odo-Eku not to be caught unaware, Odo-Eku went to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which judgement is still pending till date.
From this revelation, Iwo has been acting in flagrant *Contempt of Court of competent and highest judicial jurisdiction in Nigeria* but because Odo-Eku Community is peace loving, it has been overlooking such unlawful activities but not this time around again. Enough is enough.
*The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back:*
Before the *Black Monday,11th July,2022* Odo-Eku Community has instructed all non-indigenes farming on Odo-Eku farmlands to register with the Community as one of the security measures.
This action exposed the antics of the
Iwo people.
Different cases of attempts to breach public peace of Odo-Eku Community by Iwo have been reported severally both at and to Isin Traditional Council, DPOs at Owu-Isin Local Government and Police Area Command at Omu-Aran.
On Monday, 11th July, 2022, some people from Iwo were caught destroying the farm crops of farmers from Odo-Eku on Odo-Eku land. Some of them were caught and taken to Eleku’s Palace at Odo-Eku. His Royal Highness then called the DPO at Owu with a view to questioning the culprits so as to identify their sponsors.
According to Oniwo source, *only seventeen (17) persons* came from Iwo to do the havoc at Odo-Eku. That should inform discernable minds that the action was a deliberate and an organized, well coordinated one with certain sponsors. Only four of them were apprehended. The remaining thirteen persons ran back to Iwo to spread wrong and false information.
While Odo-Eku Community was awaiting the DPO to come and interrogate the people destroying the farm land, Iwo people came with three loads of motor vehicles parked at the outskirts of Odo-Eku.
They ran to Odo-Eku Community with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons shouting and shooting sporadically, some of them caught are now with the Kwara State CID, as exhibits.
The man that was brutally murdered was *Mr. Abdulfatai Jimoh Bamigboye,* who came home from Osun State for Eid-l-Kabir festival. His house was the first by the right side of the road when coming from Sabaja-Iwo side. The murderer went straight to him and shot him at a close range right in his house with bullet holes numerously visible on the outside wall tiles of the house. The man died on the spot.
At this juncture, we need to commend the efforts of Eleku of Odo-Eku Kingdom and the Eleku-in-Council for their insistence in not allowing the youths of Odo-Eku to defend themselves by retaliating the devilish and barbaric attitude of the Iwo people. This is totally an act of aggression and provocation, right in the township of Odo-Eku and in front of Eleku Palace.
His Royal Highness, the Eleku of Odo-Eku, boldly protected the lives of the people from Iwo, even at the risk of his own life.
*Lies told far too much:*
For someone to say that the people of Iwo didn’t carry any gun to Odo-Eku is far too much to believe and it is a childish statement and childish believe. Is it possible for anyone to use cutlass to shoot? You may further ask Iwo people what were they doing with cutlass in AbdulFatai Jimoh Bamigboye’s house at Odo-Eku? What would seventeen persons come and do at Odo-Eku with cutlasses and guns?Your answers to these questions are as good as any rational being’s thought.
Another lie and under-statement by Iwo people was the saying that Odo-Eku people laid ambush to Iwo people at Odo-Eku.
The event was impromptu as far as Odo-Eku Community was concerned because of the preparation for the pending Sallah program festival celebration titled “Ojude-Oba” which was slated for 12noon on that particular day. Is ambush carried out in the bush or in the town?
What a white lie! They were only being economical with truth.
The man was murdered in cold blood in his house and not in the bush. It is our believe and prayer that the blood of the innocent man will avenge his killer.
*Conclusion and Prayers:*
It is our prayer and believe that Iwo Community should *preach, embrace peace and act peacefully*
Napoleon Bonaparte of the old French people did more than that. He eventually met his Waterloo. We should not also forget the story of Talut and Goliath.
More importantly, we should not forget that *Almighty Allah/God is always with “the patient”.*
Further more, we strongly appeal to the *Nigeria Police not to allow any one to attempt at tampering with all available evidence with them.*
We equally appeal to the Supreme Court to jealously protect the laws of the Federation by *promptly adjudicating on the flagrant CONTEMPT OF THE SUPREME COURT* before going on their annual judicial recess.
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Kwara State and the judiciary should also dispense the murder case dispassionately in order to serve as deterrent to others who may want to take laws into their hands.
The whole *world is* watching and waiting to see justice being promptly done, particularly on this matter, in Kwara State and Nigeria.
Finally, *any online, social media and print media* being used to peddle falsehood on this incident would soon be apprehended to face the music. We therefore *advise all* online and social media interested in this matter to conduct thorough investigations before embarking on a journalistic suicide.
Thanks and God bless all the good people of Odo-Eku Kingdom, Isin Land Kwara State and Federal Republic of Nigeria
_This is just a brief way of setting the wrong and the distorted records given by Iwo people straight_.
SIGNED
Chief Alhaji Wasiu Ajijola-Anabi
ASANLU OF ODO-EKU KINGDOM
Chief J.A Ogundele JP
SAWO-OLORO OF ODO-EKU KINGDOM
16th July,2022