Following the outbreak of another communal conflict between the Ifon and Ilobu communities, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has ordered the immediate imposition of a curfew in the two warring areas.
The decision was announced by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, in a press statement made available to journalists in Osogbo, the state capital.
To prevent further escalation of the crisis, the governor has approved a 7 pm to 7 am curfew, effective immediately from Thursday, January 16, 2025, until further notice.
In the statement, Kolapo Alimi outlined additional measures aimed at ensuring lasting peace in the affected communities. “Following the outbreak of another communal clash between the people of Ifon and Ilobu, the Osun state government has taken the following decisions aimed at ensuring lasting peace in the warring communities,” the statement read.
A contingent of security personnel, including the Army, Police, and Civil Defence, has been deployed to the areas to maintain order and prevent further unrest. The statement also called on all stakeholders in the affected regions to cooperate with the state government in resolving the issues amicably for the sake of lasting peace.
In a bid to find a permanent solution, an enlarged Committee of Stakeholders will be formed, consisting of community representatives, service chiefs, members of the State Council of Obas, and other relevant bodies.
The statement concluded with a stern warning: “Anyone or group of persons, found or caught doing or instigating any further violence, knowingly or unknowingly, in breach of lasting peace would be made to face the full wrath of the law, via necessary prosecution, in line with the dictates of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”