Fear Grips Students, Residents Over Insecurity In Iree

 

• Ospoly Mgt. Asks Students To Stay Indoor, As Community Impose Curfew

By Kazeem Badmus

STUDENTS and residents of Iree, the host community of Osun State Polytechnic, have expressed fears over what they described as worsening insecurity in the town. 

The students and residents claim that the rate of armed robbery and ritual killings in the town was alarming, calling on the state government and the police to address the matter. 

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that insecurity in the town has forced the community to impose dusk to dawn curfew.  

The dusk-to-dawn curfew, according to Aree in Council, was in conjunction with various security organs in the community to put an end to ritual killings, armed robberies, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity prevalent in the town.

It was learnt that incidents like armed robbery, house breaking and thievery were rampant in the town. 

A madman was reportedly beheaded with his two hands severed by unknown persons at Oris area of the community.

Residents of the area said they discovered the mutilated corpse of the madman near a bush just few metres away from the main road, around 8:00pm last week Wednesday.

According to the residents, the incident is another episode in the security threats going on in the town, adding that the community is no longer safe. 

They said that the mandman came into the town not long ago and always roamed about begging for food.

The medium gathered that shop owners around the scene of the incident were invited for questioning by the Nigeria Police Force, Iree division and were subsequently released. 

A student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Lekan Babarinde, disclosed that the town has been facing series of security threats in the past months.

Babarinde said the killing of the madman might not be unconnected with ritual activities of the internet fraudsters known as Yahoo-Yahoo boys in the town, saying that their influx into the town was alarming.

He said: “I went to poly junction around 8:00pm and on my way back, I saw people around Oris area who were looking at mutilated body of a madman. 

“I believe the Yahoo-Yahoo boys might be the one involved in the killing because the rate at which they are flocking around the town is alarming and disturbing.

“Iree is no longer safe. In the past months, there has been report of kidnappings and armed robberies. A bike man was recently killed in Iree and his bike taken away”.

Meanwhile, the management of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree has directed students and all staff of the institution to remain indoor to honour the dusk-to-dawn curfew of the community. 

The management also directed that all unregistered vehicles and those with tinted glasses should be denied entry into the Institution.

According to the institution, all vehicles entering the institution will be subjected to routine security checks as appropriate.

The school management in a memo signed by the Director of Media and Protocol, Mr. Adebayo Fadeji, on behalf of the registrar of the school, said the curfew will be effective between the hours of 10.00p.m and 6.00a.m.

The memo which was issued on Monday reads: “The Aree in Council, in conjunction with the various security organs in town, has declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Iree town. The curfew which will be effective between the hours of 10.00p.m and 6.00a.m. is put in place to stem the tide of ritual killings, armed robberies, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity prevalent in the town.

“In view of the foregoing, all members of staff and students residing in Iree town are strongly advised to comply with the directive of the Aree in Council and the security agencies in respect of the curfew and stay in their respective houses during the hours declared for the curfew.

“You are required to abide by this directive in your own interest.”