Many residents of Ifon and Ilobu cities in Osun State fled their houses on Monday following reported bloody clashes involving hoodlums from the 2 communities.
The reason for the present hostility was not instantly clear, however safety sources talking on situation of anonymity advised PUNCH On-line that militias from the 2 communities clashed in villages on the border of Osun and Oyo states earlier than the battle unfold to unfold the cities.
Ilobu and Ifon have been embroiled in bloody clashes over border points through the years.
The state authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew on communities in October 2023 after the clashes led to lack of lives and destruction of property.
The curfew was lifted final December following the return of relative peace to the realm.
Talking on the most recent incident, the Otun Jagun of Ilobu, Leke Ogunsola, advised journalists that hoodlums from Ifon who attacked Ilobu farmers in Ologele and Aganna villages shot useless one farmer whereas others have been injured.
However the Secretary, Jide Akinyooye, Ifon Progressive Union Board of Trustees, alleged that Ilobu hoodlums attacked the indigenes of the city and injured lots of them.
Throughout an interview, a resident of Ilobu, merely recognized as Oladotun, who fled the city to take refuge in Osogbo, advised PUNCH On-line that enterprise workplaces have been hurriedly closed as information of the clashes within the villages unfold to the 2 cities.
He mentioned, 'I’ve to depart with my household. We’re at the moment in a church in Osogbo the place we are going to spend the night time. Most individuals round my home in Ilobu have additionally fled their houses for concern of assault. The combating began in villages on Osun's border with Oyo State.
'A village known as Wale was razed to the bottom. There have been additionally clashes across the villages of Idiroko and Iranin. We’ve got heard that two individuals have additionally died. However many individuals fled their houses in each Ilobu and Ifon to keep away from being caught within the crossfire.”
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, mentioned personnel had been deployed to the realm to stop escalation.
She mentioned: “We’ve got deployed males within the communities. We’re already engaged on the issues. I’ll inform you about additional developments.”
In the identical vein, the spokesperson of the Osun Commando of the Nigeria Safety and Civil Protection Corps, Kehinde Adeleke, additionally mentioned the command deployed its armed squad to the realm, saying there have been bloody clashes.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t affirm whether or not any casualties had been registered.
