…As Youths Flee To Avoid Arrest
There’s palpable tension in Ibule-Soro in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State as the traditional ruler of the community and his subjects disagreed over the appropriate date for the new yam festival.
The traditional ruler, the Olubule of Ibule-Soro, Oba Ogunlade was said to have fixed August 25 as the date for the new yam festival which coincided with his first coronation anniversary.
But some of his subjects, who deferred on the date, insisted on Friday, August 9, 2024 as the traditional date for the new yam festival.
This led to a serious face-off between the monarch and those who were against him leading to sporadic shooting by loyalists of the monarch and those who were against his installation.
Shortly after the natives began the celebration of the new yam festival, a detachment of policemen stormed the community and began to arrest the opponents of the monarch.
Sources revealed that there have been cold war between the monarch and those who faulted the selection process that produces the monarch.
Natives who are opposed to the emergence of the traditional ruler have headed to court to challenge the process and same matter is pending in the Appeal Court.
A source alleged that the traditional ruler invited the police to the community to disrupt the festival because that was not the date he unilaterally fixed.
According to the source, “This is to inform you that there has been a serious crisis in Ibule Soro since yesterday (Friday ) around 12:16 pm till present now. This is beyond control as the police invaded us shooting sporadically, terrorizing the entire community.
“Teargas every nook and cranny, and this is seriously affecting the age people, even the young generation, many were in the hospital just because of this act.
“The security people came, shooting sporadically and firing tear gas at everyone in sight. They even fired tear gas into various houses where we have aged people. They broke into several houses and arrested people.
“As I speak, many indigenes are receiving treatment in various hospitals while police have arrested many youths too. We do not know that celebrating the new yam festival has become a crime. We were celebrating without any problem until the security people came.”
The source disclosed that several natives were arrested and taken to the state Police Area Command headquarters at Igbara-Oke.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson to the state Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, a Superintendent of Police(SP), she said the crisis has been doused.
According to her, “Ibule people had internal crisis that has been on for a while, the command had earlier invited the warring parties to sheath their swords and embrace peace, while the aggrieved were advised to seek legal redress.
“Unfortunately, the crisis degenerated yesterday(Friday), so, the Police had to come in to avoid total breakdown of law and order.”