Olubadan, Stakeholders Raise Alarm Over Ibadan-Iwo Border Tensions, Cite Gold Mining as Root Cause

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, alongside the Olubadan-In-Council and key community stakeholders, has voiced concern over the escalating crisis along the Ibadan-Iwo boundary, identifying gold mining as the primary trigger rather than a mere land dispute, okay.ng reports.

The alarm was raised during a stakeholder meeting held at the Bodija residence of the Otun Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, on Monday. A joint statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan by Adeola Oloko, a former Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor, and Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade highlighted the urgent need for government intervention to prevent further breakdown of law and order in the affected areas.

“There is a need for stakeholders’ intervention so as to prevent the crisis from getting out of hand,” the statement read, while describing the ongoing violence, kidnappings, and destruction of property along the Ogburo boundary corridor between Ibadan in Oyo State and Iwo in Osun State.

The stakeholders, including representatives from the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Ibadan Mogajis, and the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative, visited the Olubadan to mark the Easter celebration before converging at Oba Ladoja’s residence to deliberate on the issue.

While they stopped short of confirming the legality or specific actors involved in the mining operations, the group expressed concern that influential traditional rulers in Osun State may be backing the activities contributing to the unrest.

“It has come to our notice that the current crisis in Ogburo is beyond boundary dispute. The activities of miners going on in the area are fueling the crisis,” the statement read. “What we discovered was that there were a lot of mining activities being orchestrated by some sections of Osun who were allegedly supported by prominent traditional rulers in the area.”

They acknowledged the role played by security operatives in calming tensions. A recent visit by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police to the flashpoint reportedly led to the arrest of several suspects. However, the damage appears significant, with reports of injuries, displacement of traditional authorities, and destruction of public infrastructure.

“A grader belonging to Lagelu Local Government was set ablaze. Schools and maternity centres originally established by the Oyo State Government have been seized and repurposed as Osun State properties,” the group added.

In response, the stakeholders pledged to intensify monitoring and urged the Oyo State Government to bolster its efforts in resolving the crisis. “We know the government has been doing well, but it still needs to do more,” the statement noted.

Plans are in place to reconvene for further review of the situation, particularly around mining activities, to assess the full security implications and explore long-term solutions.