Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has imposed a 12-hour curfew on the warring communities of Ilobu and Ifon following renewed violent clashes between the towns.
The Ifon Progressive Union, IPU, representing the people of Ifon-Orolu, accused gunmen from Ilobu of attacking the Apiponroro area, firing indiscriminately and causing widespread panic.
Jide Akinyooye, Secretary of the IPU’s Board of Trustees, provided further details, saying the violence began early Tuesday morning with reports of gunfire in Ifon’s Odoje and Golden Gate areas.
This led to the displacement of residents, who fled their homes in fear.
In response, Chief Goke Ogunsola, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, rejected the accusations, claiming that gunmen from Ifon were responsible for initiating the attacks on Ilobu.
He alleged that residents of Ganga and Apiponroro were besieged by gunmen from Ifon, forcing them to defend themselves.
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Ogunsola further claimed that threats had been made against Ilobu during a meeting on Monday, when Olufon allegedly issued a warning to the town.
The Ilobu leader appealed for intervention from the state government, stating, “We are a peace-loving community. It is Ifon that keeps attacking us.”
In response to the escalating violence, the Osun State Government issued a statement on Thursday, declaring a curfew from 7pm to 7am daily in the affected areas, effective immediately.
The curfew will remain in place until further notice.
To support the enforcement of the curfew, the state government has deployed a joint security force, including the Army, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to ensure peace and prevent further violence.
Governor Adeleke expressed his administration’s commitment to resolving the conflict and urged all parties to support efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in the region.
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