Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Ademola Adeleke of Osun State have taken steps towards resolving ongoing boundary disputes between their states.
Governor Adeleke also disclosed that he had recently met with Governor Makinde to deliberate on ways to amicably resolve the disputes, which have led to tensions and violent clashes.
The meeting followed reports by the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, who raised concerns over attacks allegedly carried out by residents of Lagelu Local Government Area in Oyo State on villages
within Iwo Local Government Area in Osun State.
Oba Akanbi listed affected villages to include Ogunajo, Eleye, Molamu, Paku, Ejemu Oja, Oloya, Arikese, Eleweran, Olofa Ogundiran, and Molafe, all under Iwo Local Government Area.
The traditional ruler urged both governors to refer to the 1991 boundary map created when Osun was carved from the old Oyo State, as a basis for settling the matter.
In a statement issued in Osogbo on Thursday, Olawale Rasheed, spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, confirmed that the governors met at Makinde’s residence in Ibadan to deliberate on the crisis.
“The two governors met during the week and resolved to take immediate actions, including a directive to the deputy governors of both states to meet and visit the disputed areas,” Rasheed stated.
He added that both deputy governors were also instructed to meet with community leaders from Iwo and Lagelu to foster peaceful dialogue.
“Both governors called for restraint and an end to reported raids into each other’s territories by aggrieved parties, stressing the importance of due process and the rule of law in resolving conflicts,” the statement added.
The governors also resolved to investigate other boundary-related disputes, particularly the recurring issues between Orolu Local Government Area in Osun State and areas of Ogbomoso in Oyo State.
While the National Boundary Commission, NBC, has previously visited the disputed zones to gather data, its final report has not yet been released.
This delay, stakeholders say, has allowed opportunists to exploit the uncertainty for personal or communal gains.
In recent weeks, several villages in Iwo have reportedly been attacked, while Lagelu communities have also claimed they were subjected to violent assaults.