Armed policemen have been drafted to ensure that fresh fight does not break out between Ife and Modakeke people in Osun State.
Our correspondent reports that policemen deployed in the area to ensure peace were still monitoring the situation as of Sunday, following the fresh crisis which was said to have started about two weeks ago.
It was learnt that tension was high in Alapata, Amokegun and Oyolowa last Thursday as residents of the areas were said to have taken up arms and blocked all the roads leading to the villages.
A resident of Modakeke, who pleaded not to be named, alleged that many indigenes of the town who are farmers had not been allowed to return to their farms since the end of the last crisis.
He added that some people from Ife always prevented Modakeke farmers from harvesting their cash crops. He added that youths from the town had vowed that they would resist such practice henceforth.
According to him, the people of Ife are demanding that Modakeke indigenes who are farming on Ife land should pay tribute.
Also, a politician from Ife confirmed the claim, saying the land on which Modakeke people were farming belonged to Ile Ife and they should pay tribute to their landlords.
He also blamed the new crisis brewing between the two communities on Modakeke but he said that he hoped that the issues would be resolved quickly.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Folasade Odoro, when contacted, said that the command had deployed policemen in the area to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.
Odoro, who said that normalcy had been restored to the area, called on residents of the two towns to allow peace to reign.
She said, “We are on top of the situation. Our men are there. We are monitoring situation there.
“There was no killing. We are taking preemptive measures to ensure that there is no break down of law and order.”
It will be recalled that the location of a local government headquarters sparked off violence between indigenes of the two towns in 1997 and the war which claimed many lives and property ended in 2001.
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