The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has imposed a curfew in the Ifon and Ilobu communities of the state to prevent the occurrence of another between the two communities.
The curfew is scheduled to begin at 7pm and end at 7am, effective from Thursday until further notice.
This was disclosed by the state’s commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Thursday.
Ilobu and Ifon communities in Irepodun and Orolu Local Government Areas of Osun State have been at loggerheads over land ownership.
In December 2024, a clash erupted between both communities, leading to the death of a farmer who was shot dead on his farm in the Oke Ekutu area of the state.
“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 7pm to 7am curfew be imposed with immediate effect starting from today, Thursday 16th of Jan 2025 until further notice,” said Alimi.
The state government has directed security personnel, including soldiers, police, and civil defense operatives, to be deployed to both communities to ensure security and forestall another inter-communal clash.
He warned residents of the communities to desist from breaching the peace and threatened that whosoever was caught instigating violence would face the wrath of the law.
“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,” he added.