The Ibule community in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State descended into chaos on Friday due to a dispute between supporters of the Onibule of Ibule, Oba Oluleke Ogunlade, and those opposed to him, over the scheduling of the annual New Yam festival.
The disagreement, which centered around the date of the traditional celebration marking the start of the yam harvest, led to sporadic gunfire between the opposing groups in the town.
Reports indicate that the selection process of Oba Ogunlade is currently under legal challenge, and tensions have been high since his controversial installation, with some community members accusing him of emerging through a fraudulent process.
Oba Ogunlade had scheduled the New Yam festival for August 25 to coincide with the first anniversary of his coronation. However, some indigenes opposed this date, insisting that the festival should be held on a traditional date that has long been observed.
The conflict escalated when those opposed to the monarch’s chosen date decided to proceed with their own celebration on Friday, the day they claimed was the legitimate date according to the town’s traditions.
A source revealed that early on Friday morning, a group of indigenes gathered to begin their festival, only to be dispersed by a contingent of police and military personnel. It is alleged that the security forces were deployed at the request of the monarch, who sought to prevent the unauthorized festival.
“The situation has been dire since around 12:16 pm on Friday,” the source reported. “The police have been firing sporadically and using teargas, causing widespread panic and terrorizing the community.”
The source further explained that the teargas had particularly affected elderly residents, with some younger individuals being hospitalized due to the fumes. Several homes were reportedly broken into, and a number of people were arrested by the police.
“As I speak, many locals are receiving treatment in various hospitals, and numerous youths have been detained. We didn’t realize that celebrating the New Yam festival had become a crime. Everything was peaceful until the security forces arrived,” the source added.
It was also reported that several community members have been taken to the police station in Igbara-Oke, the headquarters of Ifedore Local Government.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, stated that the situation in Ibule has been brought under control. She refuted claims that the police were siding with any party in the dispute, explaining that the officers were deployed to maintain law and order.
“Ibule has been dealing with an internal conflict for some time now,” Odunlami-Omisanya said. “The command had previously advised the warring parties to put aside their differences and seek peaceful resolution through legal means. Unfortunately, the situation escalated on Friday, and the police had to intervene to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order.”
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