2 dead, houses burnt as Cashew farm dispute escalates in Kwara

• A convulsive communal clash implicit a disputed cashew workplace successful Kwara State has near 2 radical dormant and respective others injured, forcing residents to flee
• The long-standing onshore quality betwixt Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities escalated erstwhile Osi youths were confronted portion harvesting cashews
• Community leaders from some sides person blamed each different for the violence, portion the constabulary stay soundless contempt increasing hostility and calls for intervention

A deadly communal clash implicit a disputed cashew workplace has near astatine slightest 2 radical dormant and respective others injured successful Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The convulsive confrontation, which erupted connected Friday betwixt residents of Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities, has forced galore locals to fly their homes.

Many person had to wantonness their homes arsenic communal situation worsen. Image: Getty
Source: Getty Images

How the unit started

Legit.ng gathered that the quality is rooted successful a long-standing disagreement implicit ownership of a cashew farm jointly utilized by some communities. The situation escalated erstwhile immoderate Osi youths were recovered harvesting cashews by Ẹpẹ-Opin residents, who questioned their close to enactment connected the disputed land.

A nonmigratory of Osi, Isiaka Alabi, narrated the incidental to Legit.ng:

“The onshore is simply a currency workplace jointly owned by some communities. There has been a long-standing quality implicit it. You cognize however lucrative cashew and its seeds are now, particularly successful this season. Many youths are progressive successful the concern and making wealth from it. The combat started erstwhile our radical were confronted by Ẹpẹ locals portion harvesting cashew. One of our youths was killed instantly.”

Following the onslaught connected the farm, hostility escalated, starring to a larger combat betwixt the 2 communities. Armed youths reportedly attacked houses and inflicted injuries connected respective individuals.

“After what happened connected the farm, the youths from some towns started fighting. Another idiosyncratic from Osi was killed, and galore others were injured and rushed to the hospital,” Alabi added.

Residents fly for safety

A root from Ẹpẹ-Opin told Legit.ng that the increasing hostility had forced him to relocate his household to a neighbouring town.

“People person started leaving the town. Eid solemnisation is simply a fewer days away, but astir residents volition not beryllium location for it due to the fact that the country is nary longer safe. Nobody knows what volition hap next. The combat could interruption retired again astatine immoderate time, adjacent astatine midnight," the assemblage root said.

Residents of Ẹpẹ-Opin blamed the attempted onshore grabbing orchestrated by Osi Youth with the enactment of their accepted ruler was liable for this ongoing communal crisis.

“Their Kabiyesi supported them to drawback our land. And this is what caused this problem. The Osi radical are claiming the ownership of the onshore that is not theirs and their Oba is supporting that. And we can’t beryllium looking astatine them without defending our ancestral property,” 1 of the assemblage leaders from Epe told Legit.ng.

However, Jamiu Sinmisola Agboluaje, Publicity Secretary of Osi Youth Council successful a property connection made disposable to Legit.ng on Saturday greeting denied the allegation that their accepted ruler supported immoderate signifier of onshore grabbing.

Jamiu wrote:

“The attraction Osi Youth Council has been drawn to a fabricated quality communicative circulating connected societal media, alleging that the Olosi of Osi has been sponsoring onshore grabbers to instrumentality implicit the onshore of Epe-Opin people. We privation to categorically contradict these malicious allegations and acceptable the grounds straight.”

He added:

“It is imperative to enactment that the Osi Community has been astatine the receiving extremity of unprovoked attacks from the Epe-Opin community, resulting successful the nonaccomplishment of guiltless lives and demolition of properties. We request justness for the victims and their families.”“We entreaty to His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and applicable information agencies to intervene urgently and bring an extremity to the senseless unit and bloodshed. We besides impulse the authorities authorities to checkmate the basal of the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government, Hon. Wale Awelewa connected the matter.”

Police soundless connected the crisis

Efforts to get a effect from the Kwara State Police Command were unsuccessful. The Command Spokesperson, SP Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, did not respond to repeated calls made to her connected Saturday greeting and has yet to reply to a follow-up message.

As tensions stay high, residents are calling connected the Kwara State Government to intervene and reconstruct bid betwixt the warring communities.

Fight among communities pb to decease of 9 people

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Jigawa State Police Command confirmed connected December 4 that a communal clash that occurred connected December 3 successful the Miga Local Government Area resulted successful the death of 9 people and near 4 others injured.

The incidental has led to important unrest successful the community, with galore others hospitalized.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck retired quality that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” artifact connected the location leafage and enjoy!

Source: Legit.ng