Adeleke imposes fresh curfew on warring Osun communities

Tamarauemi Ebimini

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday, imposed a fresh curfew on Ilobu and Ifon communities, following the outbreak of another clash between the neighbouring towns.

The umbrella body for the indigenes of Ifon-Orolu in Osun State, Ifon Progressive Union, had alleged that some gunmen from Ilobu stormed the Apiponroro area shooting, causing panic among the residents.

Shedding further light on the incident, the Secretary, Board of Trustees, Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union, Jide Akinyooye, explained that the latest attack on the town started in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to him, gunshots were heard in Odoje and Golden Gate areas of Ifon, noting that many residents, trying to escape from areas have been displaced.

But the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Chief Goke Ogunsola, while responding to questions from The PUNCH, said it was gunmen from Ifon that attacked residents of an area belonging to Ilobu.

Ogunsola, who called on the state government to protect the Ilobu community from Ifon gunmen, said he received calls from residents living along the boundary with Ifon, who alleged that gunmen from the neighbouring community had attacked the area.

Giving an update on the action taken by the government to arrest the situation, the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, said the curfew starts by 7pm and ends by 7am daily.

The government also said a contingent of all security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, and Civil Defence had been deployed to the warring communities to forestall further anarchy.