‘Stay within your jurisdiction’ — Iresaadu warns Soun ahead of visit

By Adejayan Gbenga –

Iresaadu, an ancient community near Ogbomoso, has warned the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, to stay within his jurisdiction ahead of his planned town hall meeting in the community.

In a statement signed by a prince of the town, Adeyanju Adebayo, the community rejected the meeting scheduled for July 3, insisting that Iresaadu does not fall under the Soun’s authority.

“The royal families, indigenes, and residents of Iresaadu reject Oba Ghandi Olaoye’s proposed town hall meeting. It is disrespectful, alien to our traditions, and threatens the peace of our community,” the statement read.

The statement emphasized that the kingship of Iresaadu, known as Aresaadu, is an ancient beaded monarchy dating back to the 9th century, independent of Ogbomoso’s traditional structure.

It further stated that Iresaadu and Ogbomoso are not in the same local government, state constituency, federal constituency, or senatorial district, pointing out that Soun oversees Ogbomoso North, while Iresaadu is the headquarters of Surulere Local Government.

The community maintained that Iresaadu belongs to Oyo Central Senatorial District, while Ogbomoso North is under Oyo North, reinforcing that there are clear administrative boundaries between both communities.

They warned that any attempt to disregard these boundaries could disrupt peace and create unnecessary tensions between the two communities.

The statement concluded with an appeal to the Oyo State Government to change the appellation “Ogbomoso Zone” for clarity and to prevent future boundary-related disputes.