By Capital Watch Media
Plans are underway by the Osun State Government to establish a committee to mediate and provide lasting solutions to the recurring communal clashes between Ilobu and Ifon Orolu communities.
The disclosure of the plans were made public by the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Samuel Ojo during an update on the security situation in the affected areas on Sunday.
Ojo who revealed that calm has been restored to the warring communities insisted 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.
Meanwhile, a Non-Governmental Organisation, the World Institute for Peace, has urged the Osun State Government to address the root causes of the conflict.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Lamina Kamiludeen obtained on Sunday, the group called for the inclusion of conflict resolution experts and humanitarian professionals in the committee, cautioning against reliance on politically exposed individuals.
Kamiludeen said, “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.
Recall that clashes between the neighbouring communities began last Thursday.
The development prompted the state governor, Ademola Adeleke to impose a 12-hour dusk to dawn curfew (7 pm to 7 am) and deployment of security personnel, including the Army, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to restore order.
The violence has also reportedly claimed the life of a polytechnic student and left several others injured.
