Residents Flee Homes as Two Killed, Others Injured in Kwara Communal Clash Over Land Dispute

• A violent communal clash over a disputed cashew farm in Kwara State has left two people dead and several others injured, forcing residents to flee
• The long-standing land dispute between Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities escalated when Osi youths were confronted while harvesting cashews
• Community leaders from both sides have blamed each other for the violence, while the police remain silent despite growing tension and calls for intervention

A deadly communal clash over a disputed cashew farm has left at least two people dead and several others injured in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The violent confrontation, which erupted on Friday between residents of Osi and Ẹpẹ-Opin communities, has forced many locals to flee their homes.

How the violence started

Legit.ng gathered that the dispute is rooted in a long-standing disagreement over ownership of a cashew farm jointly used by both communities. The crisis escalated when some Osi youths were found harvesting cashews by Ẹpẹ-Opin residents, who questioned their right to work on the disputed land.

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A resident of Osi, Isiaka Alabi, narrated the incident to Legit.ng:

“The land is a cash farm jointly owned by both communities. There has been a long-standing dispute over it. You know how lucrative cashew and its seeds are now, especially in this season. Many youths are involved in the business and making money from it. The fight started when our people were confronted by Ẹpẹ locals while harvesting cashew. One of our youths was killed instantly.”

Following the attack on the farm, tension escalated, leading to a larger fight between the two communities. Armed youths reportedly attacked houses and inflicted injuries on several individuals.

“After what happened on the farm, the youths from both towns started fighting. Another person from Osi was killed, and many others were injured and rushed to the hospital,” Alabi added.

Residents flee for safety

A source from Ẹpẹ-Opin told Legit.ng that the growing tension had forced him to relocate his family to a neighbouring town.

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“People have started leaving the town. Eid celebration is a few days away, but most residents will not be home for it because the area is no longer safe. Nobody knows what will happen next. The fight could break out again at any time, even at midnight," the community source said.

Residents of Ẹpẹ-Opin blamed the attempted land grabbing orchestrated by Osi Youth with the support of their traditional ruler was responsible for this ongoing communal crisis.

“Their Kabiyesi supported them to grab our land. And this is what caused this problem. The Osi people are claiming the ownership of the land that is not theirs and their Oba is supporting that. And we can’t be looking at them without defending our ancestral property,” one of the community leaders from Epe told Legit.ng.

However, Jamiu Sinmisola Agboluaje, Publicity Secretary of Osi Youth Council in a press statement made available to Legit.ng on Saturday morning denied the allegation that their traditional ruler supported any form of land grabbing.

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Jamiu wrote:

“The attention Osi Youth Council has been drawn to a fabricated news story circulating on social media, alleging that the Olosi of Osi has been sponsoring land grabbers to take over the land of Epe-Opin people. We wish to categorically deny these malicious allegations and set the record straight.”

He added:

“It is imperative to note that the Osi Community has been at the receiving end of unprovoked attacks from the Epe-Opin community, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties. We demand justice for the victims and their families.”

“We appeal to His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and relevant security agencies to intervene urgently and bring an end to the senseless violence and bloodshed. We also urge the state government to checkmate the stand of the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government, Hon. Wale Awelewa on the matter.”

Police silent on the crisis

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

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As tensions remain high, residents are calling on the Kwara State Government to intervene and restore peace between the warring communities.

Fight among communities lead to death of 9 people

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Jigawa State Police Command confirmed on December 4 that a communal clash that occurred on December 3 in the Miga Local Government Area resulted in the death of nine people and left four others injured.

The incident has led to significant unrest in the community, with many others hospitalized.

Source: Legit.ng