Violence has broken out in Egbedi community, Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, following a land dispute with neighboring communities.
The crisis reportedly started on Thursday evening when armed men, allegedly from Iloba and Ede boundary communities, stormed Egbedi and attacked residents.
According to a community leader, Baba Kekere, the attackers arrived around 4:30 pm and began shooting.
“Some people from Erin-Osun, Iloba, and Ede communities came into Egbedi and started shooting at our people,” he said. “I heard they are doing this because they want to install another monarch from Ede to rule over some parcels of land in our community.”
A source from the palace of the Elegbedi of Egbedi explained that the crisis was linked to an attempt by the Ede traditional ruler to install an Oba in Iloba, a land that Egbedi claims as its own.
“There is trouble in our community,” the source said. “The people of Ede want to install another Oba in Iloba, which lies between Egbedi and Erin-Osun. The land belongs to Egbedi, and there cannot be two monarchs in the same community. They plan to install the new traditional ruler tomorrow (Friday), and that’s why they have been attacking us.”
Reports indicate that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) led a team of policemen to the scene to calm the situation, but fear still grips the community.
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, could not be reached for comments at the time of this report.
This incident adds to the series of communal clashes over land boundaries in Osun State. The ongoing conflict between Ifon-Osun and Ilobu communities remains unresolved despite government intervention, and similar disputes have claimed lives and property in Esa-Oke and Ido Ayegunle.
Residents of Egbedi are calling on the state government and security agencies to step in quickly to prevent further violence.
