The Ife-Modakeke inter-communal crisis began many years ago and seven major violent clashes have been recorded between them.
The years were 1835-1849, 1882-1909, 1946- 1949, 1981, 1983, 1997-1998, and 2000.
BattaFiles understands the causes of the violence include cultural identity, economics and politics related to land ownership, payment of land rent (Isakole), creation of local government and location of its headquarters.
The Ile-Ife community considered the Modakekes as visitors who migrated to their area following the collapse of the Old Oyo empire in the 19th century. As Ile-Ife dominated Modakeke, the two groups slaughtered themselves.
The last major crisis
In the 1990s, the Modakekes agitated for a local government council of their own and the military junta of the late Sani Abacha granted their wish by creating Ife East Local Government out of the former Ife North and Ife Central local governments in 1997.
However, Ile-Ife indigenes demanded that the headquarters of the new council should be in their part of town. The Modakeke people objected, saying they demanded the creation of the new local government.
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To the surprise of many, the government announced Oke-Ogbo in Ile-Ife as the headquarters of the council despite initially indicating that Oke D. O. in Modakeke would be the location.
Not pleased with the alleged injustice, Modakeke residents protested and it led to a full-blown crisis and the killings of hundreds of people from both sides.
There were also destruction of hundreds of houses, cars and other properties.
Gov’t actions, inactions
After years of repeated killings, ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo set up a committee, led by Olabode George, with the support of the state government under the then governor, Bisi Akande, to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
The committee proposed the recognition of Ife East Area Office as a local administration entity with headquarters at Oke, D.O. in Modakeke, and adding “Ife” as a prefix to Modakeke for the town to become known as Modakeke-Ife.
It also recommended the location of a mobile police training school in Ile-Ife and police buffer zones in the flashpoints of the conflicts like Oke Yidi, Odo Okun, Iye Kere, Egbedore, Akrabata, Isale Agbara, and Mayfair/Obande areas.
Aside from relocating the local administration headquarters, all other recommendations are yet to be made a reality.
While peace has relatively returned to the two communities, many victims of the violence still live with the trauma.
There are also separate committees in the two communities working in ensuring peace in order not to allow attacks on farms and boundaries lead to massive deaths and destruction of properties as recorded in the ‘90s.
