- 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 p-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
Many have had to abandon their homes as communal crisis worsen. Image: GettySource: Getty ImagesHow the violence startedThe 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 p locals while harvesting cashew. One of our youths was killed instantly.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 safetyPeople 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.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 cant be looking at them without defending our ancestral property, one of the community leaders from Epe told TheTalk.NG.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.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 crisisFight among communities lead to death of 9 people
