Osogbo Indigenes Reject Alabere’s ‘Misleading Territorial Claims’

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 the Alabeere of Abeere-Ede, reportedly made assertions challenging the historical ownership of substantial portions of land within Osogbo.

This position was contained in a statement jointly issued by the Chairman of OSAF’s Steering Committee, Abdulrahman Okunade and the Convener of the Forum, Prince Hameed Oyegbade, and made available to the press in Osogbo on 30th April 2026.

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 states 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, according to the statement, 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 20th September 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 25th November 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.”