The wife of Elegbedi of Egbedi in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Olori Bukola Afolabi, has been arrested in connection with the ongoing communal crisis between Egbedi and Iloba.
Olori Afolabi was arrested alongside Isa Adesina, Rasheed Ayandiran and two other persons for attacking police officers from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Zone 11, Osogbo, who visited the warring communities to forestall breakdown of law and order on Monday.
HERALDSUN reports that the longstanding communal clashes have resulted in loss of lives and properties worth millions of naira in the last six years.
It was gathered that on April 27, 2026, Elegbedi, Oba Muideen Azeez, allegedly led some thugs to the Iloba community to destroy economic trees and chased away residents who were trying to rebuild their houses after the 2024 arson allegedly carried out by the monarch.
The medium learnt that the police officers went to the community regarding a petition forwarded to Zone 11 by residents of Iloba on the persistent attacks on their town by the Egbedi community.
According to a police source who spoke with HERALDSUN under the condition of anonymity, the olori Afolabi led some thugs to harass the police and attempted to release some suspects already arrested.
“The two oloris of Elegbedi led some thugs to attack us and made an attempt to release some of the suspects we arrested. They also attempted to burn our vehicle and disarmed us. Fortunately, we were able to arrest one of them alongside four others. They are currently in our custody and will be charged to court tomorrow.
Speaking with HERALDSUN, the community leader in Iloba, Imam Muslimdeen Sodiq, accused Oba Azeez of fuelling the ongoing crisis in the area.
Imam Sodiq alleged that the monarch has been doing everything possible to forcibly take over their land by causing havoc and sponsoring harm thugs to displace them from their homes.
He also accused the police of complicity.
“The Elegbedi of Egbedi, Oba Muideen Azeez popularly known as Asemalu has been victimising us in the Iloba community for the last six years. He has been forcing us out of our homes by using harm thugs to chase us out of our land.
“Today, police who came to intervene were attacked by residents of Egbedi including one of the Olori Elegbedi wives.
“Property worth millions of naira has been destroyed while many of our people are still missing. The government has turned deaf ears to our plights. We have sent a series of petitions to the police both at the state command and Zone 11 but the crisis still persists.”
Residents of Iloba called on President Bola Tinubu, Governor Ademola Adeleke and security agencies to wade into the crisis to prevent a full-blown attack.
During Monday’s attack on Iloba community by suspected thugs from Egbedi, a couple, Azeez Yusuf and Rasheedat Yusuf, sustained degrees of injuries while their home was vandalised.
They are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ede.
Narrating their ordeal during a visit to the hospital by HERALDSUN, the couple stated that they were attacked inside their house at Olosape via Iloba at around 2 pm by residents of Egbedi.
“When the crisis began, we started scampering for safety. Suddenly, I saw about 20 people approaching my house. They mobbed my wife and I. It took the intervention of the police and operatives of the Nigeria Forest Security Service (NFSS) to rescue us,” the couple stated.
Recall that Elegbedi of Egbedi and four other persons were in 2024 remanded in the Ile-Ife Custodial Centre for alleged arson and malicious damage of a farm in Iloba town.
Akibu Abioye, Yisa Akolapo, Rasidi Ayandiran and Sarafadeen Abioye were the other defendants remanded alongside the monarch by an Osun State High Court, sitting in Ede.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the public relations department of zone xi osogbo have not yielded success as at the time of this report. report.
