Ifon/Ilobu Renewed Clash: Police Arrest Suspects As Normalcy Returns

The Osun State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with renewed bloody clash between Ifon and Ilobu communities of the state.

Osun Defender reports that the relative peace that returned into the two communities of Ifon-Osun and Ilobu was on Monday evening truncated again, as warring indigenes of the towns engaged themselves in a deadly battle that claimed lives of no fewer than two persons and injured many.

Ilobu and Ifon indigenes have over the years resorted to bloody clashes over unresolved boundary issues.

The State Government in October last year imposed a 24-hour curfew on the communities after the clashes led to loss of lives and destruction of properties.

However, the curfew was lifted last December after the return of relative peace to the areas.

According to some security sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, some people from the two communities clashed in villages on the border of Osun and Oyo States before the fight spread to the towns.

Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Chief Leke Ogunsola, while speaking on the latest incident told journalists that hoodlums from Ifon attacking Ilobu farmers in Ologele and Aganna villages, shot dead a farmer, while others were injured.

But the Secretary, Ifon Progressive Union Board of Trustees, Prince Jide Akinyooye, alleged that hoodlums from Ilobu attacked indigenes of the town and injured many of them.

A resident of Ilobu, identified simply as Oladotun, who fled the town to take refuge in Osogbo, said, “I had to leave with my family. We are currently in church in Osogbo where we will pass the night. Most people around my house in Ilobu have fled their homes too for fear of attack. The fight started in villages at Osun boundary with Oyo State.

“A village called Wale was razed down. There were also clashes around Idiroko, and Iranin villages. We learnt two persons were killed too. But many people fled their homes in both Ilobu and Ifon to avoid being caught in crossfire.”

However, in a statement on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said two suspects have been arrested.

She added that the Police Command has deployed proactive measures to restore peace to the community and forestall any further breakdown of law and order

According to her, “The Osun Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the unfortunate communal clash between IFON and ILOBU communities of the state.

“The Command while calling for calm over the incident which led to the disruption of peace in the affected community on 29th January, 2024, noted that it has deployed proactive measures to restore peace to the community and forestall any further breakdown of law and order.

“Unfortunately, two persons lost their lives to the incident and the corpses have been deposited in the mortuary at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital.

“Meanwhile one Mojeed Oyewumi Alani ‘M’ and one other who were arrested with Weapons and Criminal Charms by Police operatives for their role in the communual clash have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for discreet investigation.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Bzigu Dali Kwazhi, mni, while commiserating with victims of the unfortunate incident appeals to the members of the general public, especially the people living in the warring communities to remain calm as discreet investigation has commenced.”