HISTORY:Historians have described the crisis between Ile-Ife and Modakeke as one of the oldest intra-ethnic conflicts in Nigeria.The collapse of Old Oyo Empire in the 19th century caused a flood of refugees to migrate down south, leading one of the displaced Oyo group of people to settle down in the area known today as Modakeke. The hostility began when Maye Okunade, an Ife born-Ibadan leader was expelled due to his high-handedness and misuse of power, in turn, the Ifes vented their anger on the Oyo-speaking Modakekes in their domain.
During the Gbánámú war, Modakekes allied with Ibadan to attack Ife, it was Bashorun Ogunmola who deemed it disgraceful to abandon the cradle of Yorùbás and leave all the ancestral deity unworshipped, he thus encouraged the Ifes to return home. Also during the Kiriji War, Modakeke joined Ibadan to attack Ife for refusing it passage, the Ifes once again fled their farms, upon their return they vow to remove Modakeke by all means. In 1909 Ọba Olubuse I mystically dispersed the Modakekes by performing a sacrifice in which he took the earth of the Modakeke community.
Fast forward to 1923, the then Ọọni, Ọba Ademiluyi Ajagun complained to the colonial administration that his salary was a stipend compare to the Baálé of Ibadan, the Resident Officer explained to him that it was due to the population of tax payers in his community. So Ọba Ajagun facilitated the return of the Modakekes who had mysteriously fled to Ibadan, Ìkirè, Gbọgán and Ode-Omu, about 300 of them were given a portion of land for residential purposes.
Soon, the industrious Modakekes began to use the land for farming in exchange for isakole (land tribute), but by 1946 the Modakekes began to protest the further payment of the tribute, saying the Ifes have become lazy. It led to a legal tussle and the Ifes won. When Obasanjo military regime promulgated in 1978 that all land belongs to the state, the Modakekes took advantage of this by forcibly taking land in places where they were the majority, it soon led to a full blown war in 1983.
Between 1985 and 2000, seven major conflicts were recorded. The last conflict ensued over an agitation by Modakeke people for a local government council of their own. In 1997, 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.
Ife indigenes wanted the headquarters of the new council in their part of town, but Modakeke people objected. The government then announced Oke-Ogbo in Ile-Ife as the headquarters, despite initially indicating that Oke D. O. in Modakeke would be the location.
Modakeke people swiftly protested the “cheating and injustice” and another full-blown war ensued that killed hundreds of people from both sides and destroyed hundreds of houses, cars and other properties. Some residents also died later from depression over the loss of their properties to the conflict.
The killings continued until 2000 when the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, set up a committee, led by Olabode George, to look into the intra-communal crisis.
In February 2009, a peace pact was signed between Ife and Modakeke. This peace pact led to the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba. The pact was signed by the Osun State Government, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II and Ogunsua of Modakeke, Francis Adedoyin.
No more war in Ife, no more war since as the two sons of Oduduwa continue to live in peace and harmony.
