The Oyo State Government has stepped in to mediate a long-standing boundary dispute between Osun State and the Iwo Local Government Area, calling for an end to public confrontations and inflammatory rhetoric that have heightened tensions.
The intervention, announced on April 27, 2025, follows a war of words between Osun’s Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, and Iwo’s traditional ruler, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, over land ownership in border communities like Alabameta and Oba, as reported by Vanguard Nigeria and The Sun Nigeria. Oyo’s Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, urged both parties to pursue dialogue through the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to resolve the conflict amicably.
The dispute centers on overlapping claims to villages along the Osun-Oyo border, particularly in the Iwo and Egbedore Local Government Areas, where land demarcation has been contentious since the 1991 state creation. Historical records from the NBC indicate that colonial-era boundaries and 1976 administrative adjustments have fueled disagreements, with recent economic activities like mining exacerbating tensions. Lawal, chairing a joint boundary committee meeting in Ibadan on April 26, emphasized that both states, as Yoruba neighbors, must prioritize peace over “media wars,” per Daily Post Nigeria.
Oyo’s intervention includes deploying surveyors to verify boundary markers and engaging community leaders to reduce hostilities. The state has also appealed to the NBC for updated mappings, citing a 2023 survey that left ambiguities unresolved. Osun’s government, through its Commissioner for Boundary Affairs, Kazeem Akinleye, welcomed Oyo’s mediation but accused Iwo stakeholders of encroaching on Osun land, a claim Iwo’s Oba Akanbi refuted, alleging Osun’s expansionist agenda. Both states have agreed to a ceasefire on public statements, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for May 10 in Osogbo.
The dispute has disrupted farming and trade in affected areas, with 500 hectares of farmland under contention, impacting 2,000 residents, per Oyo’s Ministry of Local Government. The NBC, tasked with resolving interstate boundaries, has mediated 15 such disputes since 2020, with Oyo-Osun among the most protracted. Oyo’s proactive stance reflects its broader role in fostering regional harmony, as seen in its 2024 resolution of a similar dispute with Ogun State. As mediation progresses, stakeholders hope for a permanent solution to restore stability and strengthen ties between the two states.