Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has said he has already met his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde, to seek an amicable resolution to the boundary disputes involving the two states.
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, recently raised the alarm over violent clashes between the people of Oke Oba in Iwo and those from Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Oba Akanbi alleged that land grabbers from Lagelu have been attacking people in villages under Iwo, such as Ogunajo, Eleye, Molamu, Paku, Ejemu Oja, Oloya, Arikese, Eleweran, Olofa Ogundiran, and Molafe.
He urged both governors to consult the official map that demarcated the boundary between the two states in 1991 when Osun was carved out of the old Oyo State.
Providing an update in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Osun governor, Olawale Rasheed, said Adeleke and Makinde met at the Ibadan residence of the Oyo governor to discuss the boundary issue.
Rasheed said the resolution from the meeting included the need for peaceful engagement and the settlement of all outstanding issues.
He also noted that both governors had directed their deputies to meet with leaders of the Lagelu and Iwo communities involved in the conflict.
“The two governors met during the week and resolved to take immediate actions, including a directive to the deputy governors of both states to meet and visit the disputed areas.
“The deputy governors are also to look into other boundary disputes, such as the recurring one between Orolu Local Government and Ogbomoso areas of the two states.
“Both governors called for restraint and an end to reported raids into each other’s territories by aggrieved parties, stressing the importance of due process and the rule of law in resolving conflicts,” the statement read in part.
The National Boundary Commission had previously visited the disputed areas to collect data from documentary and oral evidence to determine the exact boundary between the two states.
However, the federal agency has yet to release its report, despite repeated follow-ups by stakeholders, creating a vacuum that is being exploited by various groups.
In recent weeks, many villages in Iwo Local Government have reportedly been attacked, while groups from Lagelu have also alleged assaults on their people and settlements.