Speculation regarding the location of the Odo Oba (Oba River) as the dividing line between Ibadan and Iwo has been denied by Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwoland.
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Oba Akanbi characterized the claim as a distortion of historical facts in a statement released on Saturday by his spokesperson, Alli Ibraheem, which he claimed had come from the palace of the Olubadan.
Oba Akinloye Olakulehin, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, has said that, in the midst of continuing hostilities between the two villages, Odo Oba acted as the boundary between Ibadan and Iwo.
According to Oba Akanbi, the allegation has the potential to upset the peace-building efforts taking place in the contested territories and incite discontent among the locals.
He firmly stated that while the subject is being heard by the National Boundary Commission, no one has the authority to make such a declaration.
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In addition to being an act of disdain toward the federal government, this declaration undermines the efforts of AIG Zone XI’s Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, who has stepped in to ask the two sides to maintain the status quo.
He went on to say that the ancestral lands of the Iwo people still include the villages of Paku, Ogunajo, Oloola Molamu, Papa, Tifede, and Ejemu, all of which have Osun State Government buildings and voting stations.
Oba Akanbi expressed his disappointment with a statement attributed to the Olubadan palace, which claimed that the Oba River was the boundary between Iwo and Ibadan. This remark comes at a critical time when the AIG Zone XI, Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, is working hard to restore calm in the affected communities.
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“As a father who loves his country and wants peace, I soothed the people of these villages,” he continued. I pleaded with them to wait for the National Boundary Commission’s findings and honor the AIG’s decision.
“The boundary of Iwo with Ibadan, well demarcated on the map since Osun was carved out of Oyo State in 1991,” Oba Akanbi repeated, writing, “for record purposes.”
Noting that there had been no historical acquisition of territory between the two groups, the monarch also stressed that the disputed settlements are ancestral to Iwo and predate the creation of Ibadan itself.
“Ibadan was home to the warlords who fought for us,” he declared. Ogunmola, Oderinlo, Balogun Ali Iwo, and a handful of others moved from Iwo to Ibadan.
As Oba Akanbi put it, “No one is greater than the government.” He urged everyone concerned to continue acting lawfully. Let the government do what it needs to do. Promoting peace is crucial because it is invaluable. To end the boundary conflict for good, the Oluwo pleaded with the government for their help.