Osun: Ido Ayegunle Community Rejects Media Attacks, Defends Spokesperson

The leadership of Ido Ayegunle has strongly condemned what it describes as a smear campaign by certain media groups allegedly sponsored from Esa Oke to tarnish the image of its spokesperson, Chief Ibironke Adebusuyi.

Chairman of the Ido Ayegunle Descendants Union, Pastor Paul Alabi, made the union’s position known in a statement issued on Tuesday.

“The allegations against Chief Ibironke Adebusuyi are baseless and politically motivated,” Pastor Alabi stated. “This is nothing but an attempt to discredit a man who has stood firmly in defense of Ido Ayegunle’s rightful heritage.”**

The community asserts that the allegations against Adebusuyi stem from a land dispute and his refusal to accept a ₦4 million bribe, along with a parcel of land, purportedly offered by Esa Oke leaders.

“Ido Ayegunle is not a settlement, as some reports suggest, but an autonomous community,” the statement read. “Historical accounts confirm that both Ido Ayegunle and Esa Oke were separately settled by the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, and their histories are distinct.”

According to the statement, the ongoing dispute escalated when Esa Oke leaders allegedly sought to exert authority over the community, a move described as “absurd and unacceptable.”

Chief Adebusuyi, a seventh-generation descendant of the Ibironke Onikoko Akankan lineage from Ita Ofa, Ilesa, has been at the forefront of resisting these claims. He maintains that his involvement in the dispute is not for personal gain but a duty to protect the ancestral rights of his mother’s lineage in Ido Ayegunle.

“This is about history and justice,” Pastor Paul remarked. “No amount of false propaganda will erase the legitimate claims of Ido Ayegunle.”

Further complicating the issue, Ido Ayegunle claims that last year, the Owamiran of Esa Oke approached the late Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, seeking a consent letter for the disputed land. However, the request was denied due to the inability to provide valid documentation. The Owa Obokun later granted the consent letter to Ido Ayegunle after verifying their legal ownership.

“The Owa Obokun did not act on sentiment but on verifiable facts,” the statement read. “Ido Ayegunle had the necessary documents, while Esa Oke leaders could not provide any.”

The statement further revealed that Esa Oke leaders attempted to bribe high-ranking Ijesa elders with ₦10 million, seeking their support in influencing the Owa Obokun’s decision. These attempts, however, were ultimately rejected.

“We refuse to be intimidated or bought,” Pastor Alabi asserted. “Our community will continue to defend its heritage with integrity and truth.”