Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared a curfew in response to recent intercommunal violence between Ifon and Ilobu communities.
It would be recalled that last year, the governor imposed a curfew on the two communities twice within two months and deployed security operatives into the town to curb incessant violence and killings in the area.
Meanwhile, the two towns rekindled their agelong crisis over land on Tuesday, leading to two persons sustaining gunshot injuries and leaders from both towns accusing each other of starting the crisis.
To curtail the crisis, the Governor, in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Thursday, ordered a fresh curfew between 7 pm and 7 am daily.
It reads, “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.
“That a 7 pm to 7 am curfew be imposed with immediate effect starting from today, Thursday, the 16th of Jan 2025, until further notice.
“That a contingent of all security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, and Civil Defense, has been, accordingly, deployed to the warring communities to forestall further anarchy.
“All stakeholders in the areas are advised to cooperate with the state government to resolve the issues amicably to ensure lasting peace.
“That an enlarged Committee of Stakeholders, which shall consist of the representatives of the communities, the Service Chiefs, the representatives of the State Council of Obas and other relevant bodies, be immediately constituted to resolve the issue permanently.
