Adeleke relaxes curfew to 17 hours in warring Osun communities

Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, has directed a reduction of an earlier round-the-clock curfew to 17 hours in Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin following recent communal clashes.

In a statement issued by Olawale Rasheed, his spokesperson, Adeleke said the curfew in the three communities now starts at 2pm and ends at 7am the following day.

The relaxation of the curfew is set to begin on Friday, March 28, 2025, and will continue indefinitely until a new directive is issued.

The conflict, which stems from a long-standing land dispute, escalated last week, leading to the burning of houses in Ifon and Ilobu — in Orolu and Irepodun LGAs.

The spokesperson said his principal took the decision to alleviate the suffering of residents of the three towns and provide an opportunity for them to attend to their immediate needs.

While acknowledging the halt in violence, the governor condemned reports of another death, stating that the police have already taken a suspect into custody.

He warned that “anybody or group of persons, found or caught masterminding any violent act will face the full consequences”.

Adeleke asked the joint security task force to sustain their continuous surveillance of the communities, ensuring absolute intolerance for any breach of law and order.

The governor also directed the state emergency agency to enhance relief efforts for displaced persons, ensuring complete implementation of previous directives on assistance and support services.