Osun State Police Command has disclosed that it has arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of a farmer, Sikiru Onaolapo.
Onaolapo, from Olobu family was shot on his farm in the Oke Ekutu area.
Oke Ekutu area is a disputed settlement between Ilobu and Ifon-Orolu communities.
Making this disclosure in Osogbo, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, CSP Yemisi Opalola, also stated that the command had intensified efforts to maintain peace in the area.
Opalola said additional personnel, including tactical team operatives, had been deployed to Ifon and Ilobu to forestall further breakdown of peace and order.
“We have deployed additional personnel, including tactical team operatives, to Ifon and Ilobu to forestall further violence.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Abba, has been engaging both communities in meetings,” she said.
Opalola confirmed that one suspect is in police custody, though she declined to reveal the individual’s identity.
She assured residents that investigations would uncover the truth and bring the culprits to justice.
“We are committed to ensuring justice is served and urge members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding as we continue our investigation,” she added.
Newsmen recalls that tension had flared between the two neighbouring communities in the last quarter of 2023.
The violence which led to the destruction of millions of Naira worth of properties, saw the state government declare an indefinite curfew and seize the piece of land in the centre of the dispute.
The state government had since declared the disputed land a buffer zone between Ilobu and Ifon communities.