Ondo Communities Raise The Alarm Over Incursion On Land

Residents of 19 coastal and oil-producing communities in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State have raised the alarm over an alleged incursion into their ancestral land by armed persons allegedly linked to the neighbouring Itsekiri community.

The affected communities, all located in Ugbo Kingdom, include Odun Ebiwon Community, Odun Makin, Ilu Titun, Odun Odunjo, Odun Maha, Eke Nla, Eke Kekere, Ubajakere, Eke Itiola, Odun Okoro, Odun Yonren, Odun Beku, Odun Ogungbeje, Odun Oyinbo, Odun Oriretan, Ubale Kekere, Ubale Nla, Ikuyinminu and Odun Igo.

The residents said the alleged development had created tension in the coastal area and threatened the longstanding peaceful relationship between the Ilaje and Itsekiri people, who have maintained close social and cultural ties for generations.

Speaking on behalf of the communities, Busayo Julius Ebiniyi said the people remained committed to peace but would not compromise their claim to the disputed territory, which he said had been inherited from their forefathers.

Ebiniyi said the relationship between the two groups had been strengthened over the years through intermarriages, cultural similarities and social interactions, stressing that peaceful coexistence should not be mistaken for surrendering their ancestral rights.

He identified the disputed area as Odun Ebiwonjumi and said the communities had historical and political records to support their claim of ownership.

He also pointed to development projects executed in the area by the Ondo State government and its agencies, including the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), as evidence of the state’s longstanding connection with the territory.

According to him, a school constructed during the administration of former Governor Olusegun Agagu and a walkway built under former Governor Olusegun Mimiko were among projects that demonstrated the involvement of Ondo State in the area.

“We are a peace-loving nation, and we have established norms of promoting peace and peaceful coexistence between ourselves and our sister community and other nationalities around us. We want to plead with the state governments of Ondo and Delta to go into government-to-government engagement and assemble elders of both the Ilaje and Itsekiri communities for dialogue,” Ebiniyi said.

He alleged that the economic importance of the area, particularly its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and offshore oil activities, might have contributed to the renewed interest in the territory.

Ebiniyi warned that allowing the disagreement to degenerate into violence would have devastating consequences for both sides, urging the Itsekiri to embrace dialogue and stay away from what the Ilaje communities described as their ancestral land.

Another indigene, Olumide John Ebiwonjumi, said the community had existed for more than 200 years and maintained that it remained part of Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Also speaking, the community leader of Ebiwon, Orimisan Ebiwonjumi, alleged that people from Delta State had recently invaded the community with boats.

He appealed to the Ondo State government to intervene urgently and provide basic amenities, including potable water, decent housing, solar power, telecommunications network and healthcare facilities.