Osun plans mediation panel to end Ilobu, Ifon clashes
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Osun State Government has announced plans to establish a committee to mediate and provide lasting solutions to the recurring communal clashes between Ilobu and Ifon Orolu communities.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an update on the security situation in the affected areas on Sunday.
The clashes, which began last Thursday, prompted Governor Ademola Adeleke to impose a 12-hour curfew (7 pm to 7 am) and deploy security personnel, including the Army, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to restore order.
While the violence reportedly claimed the life of a polytechnic student and left several others injured, Ojo stated that calm has been restored but emphasised that the curfew would remain in place until peace is fully achieved.
“The government is critically reviewing the situation and working towards bringing the two communities to an agreement,” Ojo said. “A new, inclusive committee will soon be unveiled, comprising stakeholders from both communities, their monarchs, and senior members of the state government, including the judiciary.”
He further stressed that the curfew would only be lifted after the committee is constituted and peace is firmly reestablished.
In a related development, the World Institute for Peace, a non-governmental organisation, has urged the Osun State Government to address the root causes of the conflict.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Lamina Kamiludeen, the group called for the inclusion of conflict resolution experts and humanitarian professionals in the committee, cautioning against reliance on politically exposed individuals.
“The government has the authority and resources to resolve this crisis. A robust, expert-driven committee should be prioritized to ensure sustainable peace between Ifon and Ilobu,” the statement read.
