Osun Land Dispute: One Dead, Houses Burnt In Iloba, Erin Osun

There is palpable tension in Iloba community as well as Erin Osun following the killing of a 50-year-old man, Tairu Bidmus, over a land dispute between the two communities.

There were claims from Indigenes of Erin Osun that one Saheed shot and killed Bidmus along Erin/Egbedi road, in Erin Osun on Sunday.

The deceased was reportedly shot dead while a local government surveyor and his team were working on the disputed land.

As the news of the killing of Bidmus spread to Erin Osun, some angry Indigenes were said to have mobilised some youths who invaded Iloba and set five houses on fire.

The killing and the razing down of houses in retaliation for the lost life was said to have heightened tension in the two communities.

A resident told our correspondent on Sunday night that security had been beefed up to prevent the situation from further degenerating into more loss of lives.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident.

She said one arrest had been made while the police had launched a manhunt for other suspects.

The PPRO said, “One Saheed was shot dead while he was working on a disputed land with a surveyor. The police have visited the scene and five expended cartridges were recovered from the scene.

“Our men arrested one Ibraheem Olaniran while intensive manhunt is ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.

“The corpse of Saheed has been taken to the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for post mortem. We have beefed up security in those areas to prevent reprisals and further losses.”

The monarch of Iloba, Oba Ajibola Gbadamosi, when contacted on the phone, alleged that Indigenes of Erin community mobilised youths to his community to burn houses there.

The monarch claimed that Erin Osun youths attacked his community because they had heard that the state government had concluded plans to elevate his stool.

He called on Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to intervene in the crisis now to stop further losses.

The monarch said, he did not know those that killed the victim.

Counsel for the Erin community, Chief Abdulfatia Abdulsalam, debunked the claim that residents of his community razed houses in Iloba community.

He said, “We did not raze any house in Iloba village neither did we destroy any farmland. Those that were attacked were working on the land of Erin where we wanted to build Erin Housing Scheme. We did not encroach on any land.”