A land dispute-themed clash that started off as a minor altercation suddenly metamorphosed into a communal clash that resulted in the razing of shelters in Ifon and Ilobu, both in Orolu and Irepodun LGAs of the state, respectively.
Reactively, the governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke, swung into action with the imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Ifon and Ilobu communities and, by extension, on Erin Osun, shortly after reports of subsequent crisis reached him.
โI have received with great sadness disturbing footage and security reports of a resurgence of the age-old communal clashes between Ifon, Ilobu, and now Erin Osun communities within the past 24 hours,โ the governor stated on X.
โFollowing extensive consultations with heads of security agencies working tirelessly to prevent further escalation, I hereby declare an immediate 24-hour curfew in the affected communities of Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun, effective immediately and until further notice.โ
As part of measures to contain the status quo, the governor stated that he had deployed a six-man interlocking security operation that enlists the Nigerian Army, the police, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Amotekun, and other agencies for an all-encompassing security operation.
The governor expressed sympathy for the victims of the clash, noting that his administration is doing all that is needed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In the same vein, the governor has summoned a stakeholdersโ meeting with the communities’ traditional rulers, which included Peter Akinyooye, the Olufon of Ifon; Ashiru Olaniyan, the Olobu of Ilobu; and Yusuf Oyagbodun, the Elerin of Erin Osun, as well as some notable personalities to discuss how to remedy the crisis.
“I urge all sons and daughters of these communities, alongside their traditional rulers, to embrace peace and coexist harmoniously,โ he added.
โAny individual or group found inciting violence or aiding this unrest will be dealt with accordingly.โ
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