Traders and phone vendors took to the streets of Ilesa on Wednesday. They marched to the palace of the Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland. They carried leaves, branches and placards. One placard read: “Save our livelihoods in Ilesha.” Their message was blunt. “Enough is enough. Enough of shop burglary. Enough of robbery. They are killing our business.”
Ilesa is one of Osun State’s busiest commercial towns. Mobile phone and gadget retail supports thousands of young traders. The business is cash-heavy and stock-heavy. Shops are often poorly secured. Police patrols thin out at night. The pattern is familiar. In 2023, traders in Osogbo protested over repeated break-ins. In 2024, the state announced community policing measures. The burglaries continued. Commercial crime in Osun remains out of control.
A woman narrating the protest in Yoruba said burglars emptied an entire phone shop the previous night. They took phones, accessories, and power banks. She said about four other shops suffered similar break-ins in rapid succession across the town. The losses are total. For a trader who stocked on credit, one night wipes out the business.
The protesters said young people took loans to set up legitimate enterprises. They chose trade over crime. Now criminals are driving them into ruin. They appealed to the traditional council and security authorities for urgent intervention. They want protection, not sympathy.
The Owa Obokun’s palace was the chosen venue for a reason. Traditional institutions carry moral weight in Ijesaland. A royal intervention could pressure security agencies to act. The police have not issued a statement on the protest. The Osun State Government has not commented. No arrests have been announced in connection with the burglaries.
Winners: The burglars, who escaped with stock. Buyers of stolen phones, who pay below market price. Fences and informal repairers, who absorb the devices. Losers: The phone vendors, who lost their entire inventory. Traders who borrowed to stock, who now face debt. Their employees, who lose income. Their families. Customers, who lose trusted sellers. The police, whose night patrols are inadequate. The state government, whose security promises ring hollow. Ilesa’s local economy, which loses capital and confidence.
Bottom Line: A shop was emptied overnight. Four others followed. Traders marched to the palace because they have nowhere else to turn. The police must patrol commercial areas at night. The state must investigate. Without arrests and convictions, the burglars will return. Another group of young traders will be ruined.