In a statement signed by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, the Director of Communications and Strategy, office of the Osun state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, it said “the curfew, which will be between 6pm to 7am, takes effect from today Wednesday March, 8th, 2017 and will be in force till Friday.”
The Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led Government of Osun state has declared a two day curfew in the entire Ile-Ife City over alleged clashes between Hausa and Yoruba communities in the state that have claimed at least five lives with over a hundred injured.
It said the curfew was necessitated by the breach of the peace in the area which has led to avoidable destruction of lives and properties. Also, the statement said it has caused the deployment of heavy security forces to the scene of the crisis in Ile Ife in Ife Central West Local Council Development Area of the state. It assured of the readiness of the security forces to quell the face off which has led to the destruction of properties in affected area of the ancient city.
“This is to assure all and sundry that the breach of the peace in Ile Ife is not beyond the control of our highly mobilized security forces. “To this end, the Governor of the state of Osun, upon receiving reports of the fracas the exact cause of which is still under investigation, has ordered deployment of adequate security forces and is getting minute-by-minute situation reports.
“The Government therefore warns those involved in this act of criminal breach of public peace to end it immediately as the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone arrested.” Recall that Vanguard had earlier reported that at least five persons were alleged to have died in the clash.
According to the reports, areas that were most volatile with the clashes were the Sabo, Lagere and Olaoluwa areas of Ile-Ife, Osun state. Reports equally alleged that some Hausa men were accused of raping and harassing wives of Yoruba men in the Sabo area of Ile-Ife. As a result, the Yoruba men attacked the Hausa community in a clash that erupted Tuesday and culminated into a deadly one on Wednesday.
In the pictures available so far, some of the victims are seen burnt to ashes with a tyre still hanging on one of them in the street. The report also has it that the Sabo area has been completely locked down as all the stalls belonging to the Hausas situated in Lagere area have been completely destroyed along with the goods.
It also said Security agencies comprising the Police and the Army have moved in to contain the situation. Confirming the incidence, Imam Muhammed Basir, the Senior Special Assistant to Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Arewa Matter, said the situation has taken a very dangerous dimension. He confirmed that one person was shot dead. He also told newsmen that reports from the state claimed that more than three persons had been killed. He called for more deployment of security agencies from Osogbo to intervene since the situation seemed beyond the Divisional Police unit.
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