Prominent Ikale High Chiefs today described the stance of Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, towards the Ikale nation over the land tussle issue between Ikale people of Ondo State and their Araromi Obu neighbours during a press conference at Akure, as being misinformed, ignorant and divisive. The Chiefs were led by Prince Dr. (Gen) Joseph Oluyemi Bajowa, the Jagunmolu(Warlord) of Ikaleland. Crisis erupted between Araromi Obu people of Odigbo Local Government and the Ikale people of Okitipupa local government after an Akure High Court judgement gave the land currently inhabitated by Araromi Obu people to Ikale.
In 2004, Oba Adelola, Ajobu of Araromi Obu, with some leaders of Araromi-Obu and Odigbo Local Government itself, filed an action in Suit No: HOR/2/2004, where they sought to evacuate the Ikale people from what they described as Araromi-Obu land which extended to and covered over 50 Ikale communities, all around Araromi-Obu. A case which they lost. On 16th of July, 2019, crisis broke up between Ikales and Araromi Obu people which led to loss of lives and properties were destroyed. Governor Akeredolu had visited the towns and imposed a 24 hours curfew on Ago Alaye, an Ikale town on the border of Okitipupa and Odigbo LGs. A move which has not gone down well with the Ikale people who said they were the victims of an attack by Araromi Obu people.
The Governor, it was reported by the General, is said to have tongue lashed Ikale kings and chiefs in a meeting after his visit to the crisis area. "I was at the palace of Abodi of Ikale Land when the Ondo State Governor visited. I was shocked and horrified at the Governor’s public display and pronouncement of power, devoid of decency and protocol, by taking the Abodi of Ikale Land and other Ikale traditional rulers present, to the cleaners. He threatened to instruct the security services to level to the ground Ago Alaye and other Ikale villages in Araromi-Obu and its environs; he also threw caution to the wind, by boasting that he does not need Ikale votes for his re-election! At this point, I had to cut in with reverence and cautioned against any bias and indiscriminate arrest of Ikale people. I also advised the government to abide by the rule of law, whilst I implored the security services to confine their activities to the established/standard operational rule of engagement, noting that we are in a democratic dispensation" Bajowa said.
General Olu Bajowa gave a detailed account of what transpired between Ikale and Araromi Obu people, who he claimed are tenants on Ikaleland. "The Ikale people both at home and abroad, are disturbed by the turn of events between them and Araromi-Obu settlers who have lived and settled on our land since the 19th century. Over the years, the Ikale people living around Araromi-Obu, have had to put up with a lot of indignities from the Araromi-Obu settlers because almost every Araromi-Obu settler has his mother or wife of Ikale origin. For example, the mother of the current Ajobu of Araromi-Obu, Oba Aderemi Adelola, is from Agirifon-Osooro, in Ikale Land." he added.
Bajowa indicted the monarch of Araromi Obu as being the one formenting trouble since he ascended the throne despite being a son of Ikale as his mother is an Ikale woman from Ilutitun Osooro. "Since Oba Adelola ascended the throne of the Ajobu, the relationship between Ikale people and the Araromi-Obu settlers nose-dived on all fronts. These settlers began to address the Ikale landowners as non-indigenes. This unwholesome non-indigene narrative wrongly enjoyed the full support of Odigbo Local Government. Consequently, the relationship between Ikale people and Araromi-Obu settlers deteriorated." he said.
"When the suit was filed in 2004, Ikale people pleaded for out of court settlement, not because we had a bad case, but because the Ikale people did not intend to waste money on litigation and most especially, because almost every Araromi-Obu person is related, through their mother side, to Ikale people. The Ajobu, his Chiefs and Odigbo Local Government, derisively shoved aside our request for out of court settlement and chose the option of litigation!" he added.
The land case HOR/2/2004 ended in favour of Ikale people on May 13, 2019 when the court, in large measure, granted Ikale “counter-claim” and restrained the Araromi-Obu settlers from trespassing unto the lands confirmed by the court of law to belong to the Ikale people.
It was reported Ikale people waited for well over a month after the judgment, primarily to avail Araromi-Obu settlers the chance to evacuate whatever they may have on the land and to see if Araromi-Obu people wanted to disobey the order of injunction restraining them from further acts of trespass on our lands. While this was on, ikale caused necessary court forms to be issued and served with the notice of the judgement on the leadership of Araromi-Obu settlers. Having discovered that they have stayed away from the land, the Ikale people decided to continue their farming on the lands, as pronounced by the court.
"On the 16 July 2019, when a group of Ikale people were on their way to their farms located on the way to Araromi-Obu, they were ambushed and attacked by Araromi-Obu boys who were armed with cutlasses and sophisticated weapons, so badly that the intestines of one of the Ikale farmers spilled out, while others received severe gunshot wounds. There were also unfortunate losses of lives during the sporadic firing by the aggressors. Amongst the attackers were Okuyemi Sola (a.k.a Agba), Seun Akinbule (a.k.a. Oba Ilu kan), Folu Akinmadelo (a.k.a. Chief FAA) and Sunkanmi Ogundayomi, all were teleguided by the powers that be, with an indigene of Araromi-Obu, who is also a current Commissioner in the Ondo State Government, as their arrow head."
"It was learnt that the aggressors hurriedly buried their casualties without autopsy or Police investigation. We also learnt that the Military Task Force drafted to the area made some arrests and recovered some weapons and ammunition from the Araromi-Obu aggressors and their militants, who were handed to The Police and State Secret Service (SSS). The Ikale people on their part evacuated their casualty whose intestine was spilled out with other wounded farmers, to the hospital at Ore, where they were presented with a non-negotiable bill of N1million. In the midst of this melee, some houses were touched at Ago Alaye and Araromi-Obu as reprisal attack by both sides. However, while the houses of Araromi-Obu settlers torched in Ago Alaye were located along the roadside, those of the Ikale people torched in Araromi-Obu and its environs were located away from the roadside and immediate public glare. This apparently gave the wrong impression that Ikale people were the aggressors and also probably informed the reaction of the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, who formed an opinion before his visit to the palace of His Royal Majesty Oba George Faduyile, the Abodi of Ikale Land."
The Governor Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu SAN, then promised to set up a committee to investigate the Araromi-Obu/Ikale crisis. The Committee is yet to be put in place as at date.
"As at today, 15 Ikale persons including an 89 year old man have been arrested and all of them have been remanded in Prison custody. Incidentally, these are people who were not involved in the fracas, but were merely waiting for the Governor to give him information that could have led to a peaceful resolution of the crises. Surprisingly, no police arrest had been made on the side of Araromi-Obu settlers and neither was anything heard about the armed Araromi Obu aggressors and militants arrested by the Military Task Force who were handed over to the security agencies with their weapons! In spite of reporting the unprovoked attack and injuries sustained by Ikale people to the Commissioner of Police, the Police have neither investigated our petition nor ask about our injured. We were forced to lick our wounds. Ago Alaye has been placed under a 24 hours curfew since the 18th of July, 2019 making it impossible for Ikale people to go to their farms, trade their wares, take their children to school, visit their people or cater for the sick in the Health Centers, while Araromi-Obu settlers remained free, moving about and destroying Ikale properties, leading Police to break into Ikale houses, killing their animals, harassing and arresting the residents for no just reason. The Ikale people in the area are under seige of the Araromi-Obu settlers and the Police. These have devastated the lives and economy of Ikales people at Ago Alaye and Agirifon villages. Ago Alaye has now become a ghost town and a shadow of itself. As result of Government partial actions, the Araromi-Obu settlers have been emboldened and have resorted to ordering all Ikale people to leave Araromi-Obu. Just as Araromi-Obu is home to many Ikale people, Obu settlers are also resident and are accommodated in almost all Ikale towns and villages. We want to use this opportunity to appeal to the settlers to avoid anything that can aggravate the regrettable situation by allowing Ikale people to continue to stay in their ancestral land." the civil war veteran added.
Meanwhile, the General also decried the solicited support of Rubber Estate of Nigeria Limited to the Araromi Obu people in the whole issue. "We want it stated clearly at the outset that Ikale people are not, by their complaint against the roles of the Rubber Estates Nigeria Limited (the company), making any claim in relation to the acquired land. However, the company has turned out to be an engine of oppression against Ikale people in the hands of the Araromi-Obu boys who exclusively dominate its middle level management positions. In R.E.N.L, no indigene of Ondo state outside Araromi Obu is allowed to hold any middle level management positions. For this and other beneficial purposes, there is a clear and strong dichotomy between indigenes (Araromi-Obu settlers) and non-indigenes (every other person)
The Ikale people thereafter demanded that "an independent administrative enquiry should be set up by the Government to look into the immediate and remote causes of the incessant crisis between Araromi-Obu settlers and the Ikale people. Odigbo Local Government should desist from sponsoring the hate campaign by Araromi-Obu settlers in the unlawful and unethical demand for the evacuation of the Ikale people from their ancestral lands; and debarring the Ikale people from performing their traditional and customary rights in the land of their heritage". Bajowa said.
Other Ikaleland High Chiefs in attendance are High Chief Akeremale, Petu of Idepe Okitipupa, High Chief Tony Aderehinwo, the Ojan of Erinje, Chiefs Clement Medoye, Obayemi Akojaya of Idepe Okitipupa Kingdom. Barr. Bayo Ehinmosan, the Chairman of Ikale Central Organization was also in attendance.
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