- The curfew is to ensure the crisis does not escalate further and it will take effect from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am daily.
A fresh wave of violent hostilities among warring communities in Osun State has prompted the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew by the state government.
The communities affected by the curfew are in Ifon and Ilobu where outbreak of communal clashes have been recorded in recent days.
The government announced the curfew, which takes immediate effect, in a statement issued by its Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Thursday in Osogbo.
According to the statement, Governor Ademola Adeleke also ordered the deployment of security personnel to the affected communities to prevent further breakdown of law and order and directed the immediate arrest of culprits in the two communities.
The curfew, the statement pointed out, is to ensure the crisis does not escalate further of and it will take effect from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am daily.
The statement urged stakeholders in the two areas to cooperate with the government to resolve the issues permanently.
Parts of the statement read: “Following the outbreak of another communal clashes 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 7pm to 7am curfew be imposed with immediate effect starting from today, Thursday 16th of Jan 2025 until further notice.
“That a contingent of all security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, and Civil Defence has been, accordingly, deployed to the warring communities to forestall further anarchy .
“That all stakeholders in the areas are advised to cooperate with the State Government to resolve the issues amicably at ensuring 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.
“Finally, 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.”
Earlier in the week, at least two persons from Ifon-Orolu town were reportedly injured in renewed communal clashes between the Ifon and Ilobu towns in Osun State.
Discussion about this post