Idolehin is a relatively large and popular village situated in Ado-Odo area of Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Residents of Idolehin are reputed for their age-long enterprising escapades in agricultural development and commerce.
Probably for this reason and more, the community became a centre for political, social and infrastructural development efforts of the local government in the adjoining areas in times past. That a primary school and health centre were cited in Idolehin are clear testimonials of this fact. Idolehin has been contributing to the economy of the Local government and Ogun State in particular and Nigeria in general .
It has, however, become worrisome that Idolehin and associated villages, rightly or wrongly, have featured in reports of communal unrests bothering on agitations on land ownership issues which escalated to very sad proportions.
These agitations have pitched the Ogu and the Awori against each other with negative implications coupled with incalculable damages on the development of the entire area.
More worrisome is the fact that in the last couple of days, several reports of unrest and chaos orchestrated by intra-communal clashes have again reared their uggly heads. This development has since crippled economic and social activities in the locality. The primary health care system in the area is currently deadlocked as health workers had to run for dear life because of the fear of being victims of the unrest. Not only that, people can no longer go about their daily legitimate businesses.
This sad occurrence has generated a flurry of reactionary measures within and outside the affected community.
As a responsive and responsible government, the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government has appropratelly reacted to the development by sending a delegation to visit the area, assess the level of damage and, above all, find a lasting solution to the needlessly reccuring imbroglio.
The delegation was led by the Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Kola Lameed Muyindeen. Others in the team included the DPO of Ado-Odo Division of the Nigeria Police, CSP Abiodun Bakare; Commander of Ado-Odo Zone of the Ogun State Orientation and Safety Corps, Commander Biliaminu Tiamiyu as well as other leaders in the local government and the area. The team, on behalf of the Chairman, Transition Committee, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Alhaji Wasiu Adewale Lawal, FCA assured the community that the Government will swiftly intervene and find a lasting solution to the rising unrest.
The Secretary to the Local Government observed that "it takes two to tango" and wondered why the other party to the crisis could not be immediately identified.
One of the elders of the village, while addressing the Local Government delegation, narrated the ordeals of his people in the hands of the hoodlums who attacked his village. He then took the visitors to some of the unpleasant scenes of the damage occasioned by the unrest.
Meanwhile, reports have it that some yet to be identified individuals set up bonfires to scare residents and prevent them from commuting freely within the community.
Alhaji Wasiu Adewale Lawal, FCA promised that his administration will take up the responsibility to bring the situation to the attention of appropriate authorities including the relevant security agencies.
He, however, warned the residents not to launch any reprisal attacks, as doing so could exacerbate the already worse situation. He urged them to maintain peace while promising that the government, within its capacity, will find a lasting solution to the problem.
The Chairman, through the SLG, reiterated that governments at all levels have the responsibility to protect the lives and property of the people. Alhaji Lawal said that doing this is the primary objective of governments. He further said that he believed strongly that the needful would be done by the concerned authorities towards restoring peace and tranquility in Idolehin and other affected areas so that the good people of the area can sleep without the fear of being attacked or molested and that they will soon be able to go on with their legitimate businesses without anyone tampering with their fundamental human rights.
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