Osogbo Affairs Forum warns Alabere against wrong narratives on territory

by · The Eagle Online

The Osogbo Affairs Forum (OSAF), a body of distinguished aboriginal Osogbo professionals at home and in the diaspora, has noted with grave concern a widely circulated audio recording in which an Ede chief, styled the Alabeere of Abeere-Ede, reportedly made assertions challenging the historical ownership of substantial portions of land within Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

The Chairman, OSAF Steering Committee, Abdulrahman Okunade, and Convener of the Forum, Prince Hameed Oyegbade, said this.

They spoke in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on April 30, 2026.

The statement said: “The said claim, which suggests that Abeere and, by implication, Ede, own parcels of land accommodating major state and federal institutions, including the Osun State Government Secretariat, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Television Authority, Independent National Electoral Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and National Examinations Council, is misleading, historically unsupported, and capable of generating avoidable tension.

“For the avoidance of doubt, OSAF stated unequivocally that the stretch of land extending from Ataoja School to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force Zone XI Command forms part of the historical territory of Osogbo.

“This position is anchored in longstanding traditional boundaries, community history, administrative records, and subsequent governmental recognition.

“Historical materials from the colonial era further show that the Osogbo-Ede boundary dispute was known to the administration as far back as 1929.

“In a particular letter dated September 20, 1929, the Senior Resident of Oyo Province confirmed that the boundary claimed by the people of Osogbo was the correct boundary.

“And in a subsequent letter dated November 25, 1929, the then Timi of Ede, Oba Adetoyese Laoye I, expressed agreement with that administrative position.

“These records are historically significant because they indicate that Osogbo’s claim was recognised as far back as the colonial era.

“It must therefore be stressed that selective retelling of history, without reference to the full context of available records, does a disservice to public understanding.

“Historical disputes are rarely clarified by slogans, viral clips, or partial narratives.

“OSAF is deeply concerned by repeated attempts to reopen sensitive matters through sensational public commentary. At a time when unity, economic development, and peaceful neighbourliness should be paramount, inflammatory claims risk unnecessary division among communities with shared history and interwoven family ties.

“We respectfully urge traditional institutions, community leaders, commentators, and political actors to exercise restraint and responsibility in public utterances on boundary and heritage matters. Such issues should be approached with scholarship, documentary evidence, and a sincere commitment to peace.

“We also call on journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, and digital content publishers to uphold the ethics of balanced and fact-checked reporting, and to avoid amplifying unverified claims capable of disturbing the peace of otherwise harmonious communities across Osun State.

“The Osogbo Affairs Forum remains committed to the preservation of Osogbo’s historical heritage, the pursuit of truth through evidence, and the strengthening of cordial relations among all neighbouring towns.”

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