The age long feud between the ancient town of Offa and their closest kiths, the Erin-Ile, people, both in Kwara State, is now ruining the homes of prominent sons and daughters of the two communities.
According to our
investigations, the latest judgment of the Supreme Court on the 24th
of March, which sent the people of Erin-Ile into wild jubilation when the Apex Court
affirmed that Erin-Ile’s land encompasses where the Offa Poly is located and
even one of the most historical and cultural places, Idi-Ogun, was also ceded
to Erin-Ile in the judgment.
A source told us
that the community has been holding meetings to plan on how to protect what
they claim is rightfully theirs.
“The plan is to
keep our game plan close to our chest, we don’t have to carry arms like some
people to achieve our goals,” a prominent Offa indigene told us last week.
As a result of
this dogged position, we learnt that some of the people of Offa are now sending
their Erin-Ile wives packing.
Our source said
“since the latest development, there has been mutual distrust, I learnt that
some known personalities in Offa are asking their wives to go back to their people,
some who even have marriages that have lasted the whole of three decades are
breaking their marital vows and as I speak, many of these women are still in Erin-Ile
and lamenting the turn of event and wandering when their husbands will have a
change of heart.
The source
revealed that the people of Erin-Ile have vowed not to reciprocate.
“My aunt is
actually one of such women, can you imagine these women have children for Offa
men, but this does not count again, it is very sad,” said a source.
The source also
said his cousin, who has been dating an Offa girl for more than three years is
now in a state of confusion as her parents have vowed not to give their
blessing to their planned wedding.
“Now they’ve gone
their separate ways, however, it is not all gloom as two of my sisters who are
married to Offa men and live in the Federal Capital Territory and Ilorin
respectively have not been sent home,” the source said.
We also gathered
that one of the people the Erin-Ile people are holding responsible for this
ugly incident is the embattled Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi.
“He is not even
the rightful person to that throne, his mum is from Offa royal home while his
dad is from Ilemona in Oyun Local Government, again we all know that Offa is
landlocked, they don’t have land, that is why some of them will build their
homes on a land belonging to them and erect signpost in places like Ijagbo, for
instance the signpost will read, Ijagbo Offa. In the real sense, there is nothing
like that, Offa is Offa, while Ijagbo is Ijagbo, everyone has its boundary,”
our source maintained.