The Oluwo of Iwoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has refuted claims allegedly emanating from the Olubadan Palace, led by Oba Akinloye Olakulehin, regarding the ownership of certain disputed areas between Iwo and Ibadan.
Reacting to the reports, Oluwo described the assertion that Odo Oba River marks the boundary between Ibadan and Iwo as “false, incoherent, a blatant distortion of facts, and a deliberate attempt to incite tension and chaos among the original landowners.”
He emphasized that no individual or traditional authority has the right to make boundary pronouncements on the matter while it remains under the jurisdiction of the National Boundary Commission (NBC). Oluwo further warned that such declarations amount to contempt of the federal government and undermine the efforts of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI, Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, who recently intervened by summoning both parties and advising them to maintain the status quo.
The monarch urged the Olubadan palace to respect ongoing governmental efforts and refrain from making inflammatory statements capable of escalating the situation.
Oluwo reaffirmed that the recognized boundary between Iwo and Ibadan is Papa Ebira, as officially demarcated in 1991 following the creation of Osun State from the old Oyo State. He maintained that the disputed villages — including Paku, Ogunajo, Oloola Molamu, Papa, Tifede, and Ejemu — are ancestral settlements of Iwo, featuring facilities and polling units established by the Osun State Government.
In a statement issued through his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, Oluwo said:
“I read with dismay the statement credited to the Olubadan Palace, suggesting that Oba River is the boundary between Iwo and Ibadan. This claim is particularly disturbing at a time when AIG Zone XI, Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, is making concerted efforts to restore peace to the affected villages. Only two days ago, he invited both parties and instructed them to temporarily withdraw from the disputed areas.”
> “As a peace-loving leader, I have appealed to the residents to respect the decision of the AIG and await the findings of the National Boundary Commission. Any other narrative is not only an affront to the NBC and the police but a disruption of the peaceful process towards a permanent resolution.”
He continued:
“For the record, Papa Ebira has been the recognized boundary between Iwo and Ibadan since 1991. The villages in question are ancestral to Iwo, and historically, there has never been a time when Iwo and Ibadan engaged in conflict over land.”
“In fact, many of Ibadan’s notable war leaders, such as Balogun Ali Iwo, Ogunmola, and Oderinlo, hailed from Iwo before migrating to Ibadan.”
Oluwo called for calm, stressing the importance of allowing governmental processes to resolve the issue peacefully:
“The time has come for a permanent solution to the land dispute. We must conduct ourselves responsibly and encourage our people to remain law-abiding. No one is above the government. Peace is priceless and must be preserved.”
