By Hammed Shittu
Offa Descedants Union(ODU), the umbrella body of the sons and daughters of Offa town in Kwara state, has said the Supreme Court ruling cited by the people of Erin-Ile town did not cede Offa’s land to the town.
The Offa community also said the construction of buffer zone for Offa and Erin-Ile communities by the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki was illegal and lacked constitutional provisions.
The two communities in the state have been at each other’s throats for over 50 years over boundary demarcation and this has led to series of court cases and peace accord.
The development according toTHISDAY checks has also led to series of attacks between the two communities.
Addressing a news conference in Offa, over the weekend, the chairman of the Lands Committee of the ODU, Retired Justice Banji Orilonise said that, “the prayers of the people of Erin-Ile community at the various courts cases till it got to the Supreme Court did not ask for the full possession of Offa land”.
Justice Orilonise, a former judge in the state judiciary added that, “In view of these assertions above, no any courts in the land can be a ‘father Christmas’ to any person or group of persons on what they did not ask for in the case filed before the court of law”.
He however said that, “the Kere Ipinle boundary established by the former military governor of the state, Late Col.Ibrahim Taiwo peace accord and signed by the two communities in 1975 which was also gazetted into law by former military governor Col.P.A.M Ogar in pursuant to the Kwara State legal Notice No. 4 1997 must stand if peace will reign in the two communities”.
He also said the purported construction of buffer zone of 500 kilometres radius for the two communities was outdated and illegal, adding that it should be demolished without further delay.
He noted that, “the process that led to the construction of the buffer zone was unconstitutional and the government should initiate a bill that would be allowed to be debated and passed into law at the state House of Assembly so as to reflect the wishes and yearnings of the two communities’.
Justice Orilonise also pointed out that, the people of Erin-Ile community must be made to understand that the Supreme Court judgements of 1973 and 2018 did not award any Offa land to Erin-Ile community”.
Justice Orilonise advised that, “Kwara State Government must take over full possession of the buffer zone as defined in the Kwara State legal notices 1,2,3 and 4 1997”.
He also said the two communities should be encouraged to imbibe the culture of living in peaceful co -existence for the betterment of the two communities.
He said apart from this, “the Unity Road is not acceptable to Offa community as the boundary between Offa and Erin-Ile as well as between Offa local government and Oyun local government on that axis on the ground that the construction of the road violates Section 8(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended as it relates to adjustment of Local Government Boundary”.
He therefore urged the people of Erin-Ile town to shun all forms of actions capable of threatening the peaceful co-existence of the area so as to move the state forward.
