Ifelagba Community Ilora Send SOS To Govt Over Kindnapping, Robbery Cases

 

Anxiety has gripped residents of Ifelagba Community in Abojupa Scheme area of Ilora area in Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State over the rising cases of Kidnapping and Robbery in the axis.

The ugly development followed the killing of a muslim cleric and abduction of another muslim cleric and his son during the attack.

NEWSREPORTER gathered that the unknown gunmen invaded the community in the midnight to launch the attack.

During the attack, several residents in the area scampered for safety, throwing the entire community into disarray.

Chairman of the Community Association, Mr Amos Fred, who confirmed the incident to NEWSREPORTER Correspondent during the visit to the scene of the incident, said the residents are now living in palpable fear over the attack.

Fred explained that the attack was successful due failure to develop of some the land sold by the Afijio Local Government Council after several years of acquisitions by the buyers.

The Community leader added that the land were neither developed nor cleared by the rightful owners and the council also failed to take any concrete action on them.

“When we bought the land, the documents read that the owners must develop their allocated plot within the stipulated period of three years but this is about seven years, nothing has been done on those lands yet the government is not doing anything about it

“The nonchalant attitude is causing serious problem for some of us who had development our portion of the land in compliance with the mandate on out land title documents, even the council too did not show up ever since the land was sold to us.

“Currently, we are now living in palpable fears of attacks ranging from robbery, kidnapping and killing of our people who are currently occupying their house at the moment.

“This is our Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to the government, especially the Afijio Local Community Development Area (LCDA) to come to our rescue by clearing unoccupied landed properties which had been constituting nuisance to our community.

“Owners of the undeveloped properties should as matter of urgency come and develop their allocation while those who fenced their plots of land without any usage should also heed our call to develop their land and save us from these incessant attacks by the criminal elements.

Meanwhile, The leadership of Afijio Local Community Development Area (LCDA) has assured of urgent steps to address the challenges facing the residents of Ifelagba Community Area over the recent criminal activities recorded in the area.

A top official of the council, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the Political Head of the council, Hon Tajudeen Adegoke, popularly known as Alatika is cuurently addressing the concerns of the community.

According to him, the Council leader is currently working with other stakeholders to solve the problem.

“As we speak, the council chairman and the traditional ruler of the community, as well as other stakeholders are currently addressing the matter with all sense of urgency, they are in Ibadan as we speak on the same matter.

“I can assure the affected community that the matter is receiving the needed attention and the challenges will be addressed holistically to prevent the reoccurrence in the future.   

He explained that though some of the lands affected are under litigations but the council with the approval of the state government is working on getting the court order to start addressing the issue.