Fleeing Ijebu-Igbo Residents Return

Residents of Ijebu Igbo in Ijebu North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria who had fled the town for fear of being attacked during last weekend’s aborted election.are now returning to the town.

P.M.NEWS checks revealed that hundreds of residents who were seen yesterday night returning to the town from their self exile, claiming that past experience during elections had taught them a great lesson.

Speaking with our correspondent, a timber merchant, Mr. Bola Adejumo, disclosed that he had left the town with his family since Friday because of the election.

“I cannot wait till I lose all my belongings. I remember what happened to me in 2007 and I will not allow such thing to happen again. I left the town on Friday evening with all my family members. This town is a crisis-ridden area in Ogun State,” Adejumo said.

“You all know that we have three strong political gladiators in this town and they are in different political parties. Alhaji Kaka is in ACN, Sen. Lekan Mustapha isin Labour Party, while Buru Kashaun is in PDP.

“All of them are working towards the victory of their parties and it has not been easy. We hear gunshots from every part of the town. I cannot withstand it again, but now that they have postponed the National Assembly election to Saturday, I have to come back and I will leave again this Friday.”

Asked where he ran to and how he will vote, the embittered timber merchant said: “Vote for what? What is my business about that? I don’t have anything to do with voting. I didn’t even register let alone vote.”

At a major motor park in Ijebu Igbo yesterday evening and this morning, many vehicles were occupied by passengers who were returning to the town with their luggage. Some of the drivers told our correspondent that the passengers boarded their buses at Ijebu Ode but could not say exactly where they were coming from.

They confirmed that the passengers were residents of the town who had fled on Friday evening.

Some areas like Japara, Oke Agbo, Odorasanyin, Oke Sopen were also were also deserted before last Saturday

—Abiodun Onafuye/Ijebu-Igbo