Ifon/Ilobu/Erin-Osun clash: Adeleke eases curfew to 12 hours

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has directed that the previously imposed 17-hour curfew in the three warring communities be relaxed to 12 hours.

The decision follows various security reports indicating that the much-anticipated ceasefire is gradually taking hold.

Consequently, the Governor has ordered that, starting from Tuesday, the curfew will now run from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily until further notice.

The Hon. Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Osogbo.

The statement reads:
“Now that peace is gradually being restored, it gladdens my heart, as the Governor and Chief Security Officer of Osun State, to announce the relaxation of the curfew earlier imposed on the Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun communities from 17 hours to 12 hours daily, effective immediately.

“As Governor, I reaffirm my commitment to doing everything morally and officially possible to bring the communal conflict in the three communities to a peaceful and lasting resolution.

“I am equally pleased to note that the traditional rulers of the three communities, along with their subjects, have been living up to expectations in ensuring a return to peace. This is commendable and heartwarming. I urge them to sustain the momentum.

“Furthermore, the adjusted curfew schedule will enable our children preparing for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations to do so without hindrance. We must not allow their future to be jeopardized.

“However, I am directing that the joint security team, comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, continue their 24-hour surveillance to ensure zero tolerance for any form of lawlessness.

“I also reiterate the need for all stakeholders to embrace peace. Any individual, group, or community found fomenting or aiding the crisis will face the full weight of the law.

“I take this opportunity to remind the 100-member Crisis Resolution Committee on the Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun crisis—established by this administration a few months ago—to expedite their work and find a lasting solution. My administration, along with the people of Osun State, expects nothing less than a comprehensive resolution to this longstanding conflict.

“I appeal to all sons and daughters of the three communities, both at home and in the diaspora, to cooperate with me and my administration to bring an end to this crisis once and for all.

“It is only in an atmosphere of peace and unity that meaningful growth and development can occur in Ifon, Ilobu, Erin-Osun, and Osun State as a whole.”

In a related development, the Olu of Oloosape, Oba Hassan Adegoke Adeyemo, has expressed concern over the persistent unrest in the three communities of Oloosape, Iloba, and Egbedi, which he said has caused severe hardship for residents.

At a press conference in Osogbo, the monarch alleged that residents of Oloosape and Iloba—predominantly farmers—have deserted their homes following alleged attacks by neighboring Egbedi community.

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He said:
“Almost all the buildings in Iloba and my community were razed during the attack, and my palace was also damaged by hoodlums.

“Farmers have been unable to return since the 2019 attacks. More than 3,000 farmers are unable to access their farmlands in Iloba and Oloosape.”

“We want to go back to our land. We can’t continue to sleep on the streets when we have homes. Our people, mostly farmers, abandoned their farms out of fear of attacks by hoodlums from Egbedi.

“We are pleading with the Osun State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies to intervene on our behalf.”

When asked about the role of the government and the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, in the crisis, Oba Adeyemo exonerated them, stating:

“I became Baale of Oloosape in 2009, and I had a good relationship with the late Elegbedi. It was the Timi of Ede who elevated Elegbedi, Oloosape, and Oloba to Part Two Obas in 2015.”

“We did not encroach on Egbedi land. We only want peace. Please help us beg the people of Egbedi to leave us alone—we are peace-loving.”

Also speaking, a community leader, Prince Adesoji Aderemi, stated:
“Both historical and legal evidence shows that the Timi of Edeland owns the land where the three communities are situated. Even the ancestors of Egbedi recognized the Timi as the traditional head of Egbedi, Iloba, and Oloosape.”

He added that the Oloba family from Ede had long been living in Iloba, farming peacefully with other settlers. He called for a thorough investigation into the attacks on farmers, urging that the perpetrators be identified and brought to justice.

Prince Aderemi also dismissed the claim by the Elegbedi that indigenes of the communities were arrested for attacks on Egbedi.

He and other community members appealed to the Osun State Government and security agencies to carry out diligent investigations and prosecute those responsible, specifically accusing the Elegbedi of Egbedi, Oba Muideen Azeez, of excesses that threaten peace in the region.

When contacted, the Elegbedi of Egbedi, Oba Azeez Muyideen, maintained that it was indigenes of Iloba and Oloosape who launched attacks on Egbedi and were subsequently arrested for their involvement.