Osun State Government on Friday directed that a 24-hour curfew should commence with immediate effect in the two communities of Ilobu and Ifon.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said the curfew was with a view to forestalling further breakdown of law and order in the two peaceful communities.
Alimi also said the Governor Ademola Adeleke imposed the curfew to prevent escalation of the crises and prevent further loss of lives and property.
The statement further read, “To maintain a lasting peace and order pending when the issues at hand would be amicably resolved, Governor Ademola Adeleke, in his executive capacity as the Chief Security Officer of the State, has ordered the immediate takeover of the disputed lands/areas by his administration.
“In the same vein, government has ordered that anyone or group of persons found or seen doing one thing or the other on the disputed lands/areas would be made to face the full wrath of the law accordingly by Osun State Government.
“Therefore, in strict compliance with the 24-hour curfew now imposed, Adeleke administration has also ordered strict restriction of both human and vehicular movements in the affected areas and communities, until otherwise directed by His Excellency, the State Governor and the Chief Security Officer of Osun State.
“Accordingly, officers of the Joint Security Task Force comprising the Nigerian Army, Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have been directed by His Excellency to be on a 24-hour surveillance of the two communities with a view to ensuring a lasting peace.”
In a related development, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the immediate past governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Friday appealed to the people of Ilobu and Ifon communities involved in bloody clashes to eschew violence.
Oba Ogunwusi spoke to journalists in his palace in Ile-Ife, while Oyetola, who currently is the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, sued for peace in a statement by his spokesperson, Ismail Omipidan.
Oba Ogunwusi, who called for end to the killings and destruction of property, further said, “Ifon and Ilobu people, I am appealing to you in the name of God from the throne of Oduduwa. We are all the same, one race.
“Please, let us stop the killings and destruction of property. The youths of these communities, I beg you with this throne; we came from this throne, so we are all the same. I use this throne to beg you, please, don’t let it escalate further, be your brothers’ keeper. God bless you. Why are we killing ourselves and destroying each other’s property? Let us stop the killings.”
In his statement, Oyetola who described peace as sine qua non to human existence said it was always good to embrace dialogue than to resort to violence.
“With my sojourn in life, I have come to realise that nothing good can come from communal clash and as such, every being must do everything humanly possible to forestall fight of any nature. It is quite unfortunate and shocking to receive the news of clashes between two of our notable towns (Ilobu and Ifon-Osun) in the state,” the statement partly read.
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