Ifon/Ilobu Crisis: Osun Govt Sets Up Task Force With Critical Stakeholders

The Osun State Government has called for a joint task force meeting with critical stakeholders aimed at brokering peace with warring Ifon/Ilobu communities.

This is as the state government re-imposed a 6pm to 6am curfew on the communities to avoid further break down of law and order.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government also took other decisions aimed at ensuring lasting peace in the troubled communities.

The statement noted “That a 6pm to 6 am curfew will be imposed with immediate effect starting from today, Tuesday, the 30th of Jan 2024 on the warring communities;

“That the Osun state government should set up a joint task force of all stakeholders in the warring communities, which should include traditional chiefs of Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun with immediate effect;

“That a high-powered stakeholders meeting will be held with all traditional chiefs and rulers from the three communities with government officials and all security chiefs in attendance;

“That a contingent of all security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, Civil Defence, be deployed to the warring communities with immediate effect.

“While the present administration under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has mobilized all the necessary security personnel to the warring communities, it accordingly with the affected people, who lost their loved ones in the wake of the renewed violence

“Premised on the review of the security situation, His Excellency, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in his capacity as the Chief Security Officer of the state, has approved that the 6pm to 6am curfew be imposed with immediate effect.

“Finally, in this regard, 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 music, via necessary prosecution, in line with the dictates of the law of Nigeria,” the statement read.