Eguns Vs Aworis: ‘police Told Us To Defend Ourselves Or Run For Our Lives

The peace hitherto enjoyed by residents of Idoleyin community in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, was truncated weekend, following the invasion of the community by some land grabbers.
The presence of the armed invaders was announced by the unusual noise of over 40 motorcycles, followed by sporadic shootings that sent residents scampering in different directions for cover.
Unfortunately, some of them were reportedly hit by bullets.
When Vanguard visited the community, its traditional leader, Chief Joshua Kuruyo, stated that the community had been under constant threat by the land grabbers. He, therefore, called on the Federal government, the State’s as well as the Police and other relevant security agencies to come to residents help before the situation would get out of hand.
Narrating how the land grabbers held sway penultimate day, Chief Kuruyo, said, “they came in 60 motorbikes with three persons on each, wielding guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.
The village head who spoke in Yoruba, also lamented that the entire community had been living in fear since the incident which he alleged was orchestrated by some persons suspected to be from the Awori speaking part of the town.
On why the community was invaded, Kuruyo said that the Aworis had their eyes on their land adding that they want to forcefully take their land from them and sell.
He said: “We were home when some Awori people brought war to our domain. The motorbikes they came in were about sixty, with three persons on each, holding either a gun or cutlass.
“Three days before then, they had attempted to enter the community but we quickly alerted the Police and four Policemen were deployed to the community but the Police said they were confronted by the hoodlums.
“When we called on the Police to come to our defense on the day of the invasion, they refused They said the hoodlums had superior weapons. They directed us to run for safety if we could not defend ourselves.
“At the point of defenselessness, we started calling on the gods of the land to come to our defense.
“I have never seen a thing like that since I have been in this community They came from three different points of the community and edged us . We were trapped right inside our own community, without knowing what to do. Since we had no where to run to , we took our fate in our hands and decided to confront them.
“It was a messy situation because they shot and macheted our people The injured ones among us have been taken to the hospital.
“While the attack was on, the invaders started shouting that they were the ones being attacked, whereas it was a lie. They left after having a field day.
“Before they invaded our community, they first posted a notice within the community, ordering the Eguns to vacate their villages, claiming that the land belonged to them.
But the Aworis claimed that the Eguns were responsible for the attack. One of them who gave his name simply as Igbiam, said, “they are the ones occupying our land and at the same time attacking us. We had gone there for a peaceful talk when they attacked us”.
However, police sources denied telling the residents that the invaders’ weapons were more sophisticated. Rather, sources said that police teams were usually deplored to the community whenever they received distress calls.
Sources further informed that there had been a lingering cold war between factions of dwellers in the area.
Vanguard