By Olasunkanmi Akoni

After 15 years of communal clashes which has claimed atleast 100 souls, the two tribes in Epe town, the Ijebu Epe and Eko Epe in Epe Local Government Area, are beginning to work towards peace.

For the first time, after several years of internal crisis that had deprived residents of  peaceful co_existence, the wind of peace blew across the land recently when old and young ones trooped out in droves to the Odo_Obara Senior High School, Epe, Local Government hall, in an epoch making event, to official re_ignite the togetherness that used to exist between the two tribes.

The participants at the parley, led by their traditional rulers – The Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun and the Olu of Epe, Oba Shefiu Adewale, for the Ijebu Epe and Eko Epe respectively, were dressed in their regalia to rekindle the peace that reigned between their ancestors for about 150 years.

These tribes, who had co_existed even before  independence in 1960, had about 15 years ago, engaged in discord which Vanguard gathered started gradually before it degenerated.

At least 100 lives are said to have been lost while others were maimed as a result of violent clashes in the past.

Origin of the crisis

It was  learnt that the cause of the dispute that had threatened the peaceful co-existence in the town was more political than culture and traditions of the town. “No one can really say this is what sparked off the crisis. Sometimes, it would be land tussle and other times it could be power tussle,” said a source.

The dispute between the tribes had in the last years had  polarized the town and undermined the development of Epe, a town originally tipped by colonial masters to be the commercial nerve centre of the state.

However, the colonial masters chose to reside in Oke_Oyinbo axis of the town, where they administered several towns because of its unique location as the entire communities could be viewed from the axis.

Olu of Epe, Oba Adewale said that the disunity led to confrontations between all sections of the community including the youths who confronted themselves with machetes, and other dangerous weapons of destruction.

One of the illustrious sons of the area, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji said “ “It is a dispute that one cannot say started yesterday. It started gradually, and it is more of political issue than tradition or culture. It has been accentuated by politicians from the past. But I cannot say this is when the crisis started.”

According to the Lisa of Epe, Chief Waheed Korede; “The disunity was caused by some people who have ulterior motive.

“But we held series of meetings and we came up with a proviso, that the only way to compete favourably with other towns in the state is for everyone to unite. And set up a non_partisan council that will further strengthen the unity in the town. Korede said.

He added “There are many towns that had over two tribes but irrespective of their differences, they still come together to develop their community, for instance Abeokuta.”

The Oloja of Epe, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, noted that the intention of the council is to ensure that unity returns to the town.

“We have been on the issue for over four years. We have married ourselves. We discovered that this is affecting the development in the town,” he said.

Epe, is a sleeping suburb in Lagos, the people are basically farmers and fisher men and women due to nearness to lagoon and the wide expanse of arable land. Epe is located on the north side of the Lekki Lagoon. At the 2006 Census the population of Epe was 181,409.