Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has reduced the daily curfew in the conflict-ridden towns of Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin-Osun from 17 to 12 hours following improved security conditions. The decision, announced Tuesday by Information Commissioner Kolapo Alimi, comes weeks after violent land disputes erupted in the Irepodun and Orolu Local Government Areas.
The partial lifting of restrictions (6:00 pm to 6:00 am) specifically accommodates students preparing for WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations while maintaining round-the-clock security patrols by joint military and police teams. Governor Adeleke praised traditional rulers and residents for fostering calm but warned that “any individual or group undermining peace will face the full wrath of the law.”
A 100-member peace committee established months earlier has been directed to accelerate its work toward permanent conflict resolution. “We cannot allow these recurring crises to mortgage our children’s future,” Adeleke emphasized, urging diaspora community members to support reconciliation efforts.
Security analysts note the gradual normalization follows weeks of heavy military deployment and grassroots mediation. However, the state government maintains strict surveillance, with armored vehicles still positioned at strategic flashpoints to prevent renewed hostilities over the contested territories.
The governor’s statement reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to “exhaust all executive and moral avenues” in resolving the decades-old land disputes that have claimed numerous lives and properties. Local markets and schools have begun reopening as residents cautiously resume daily activities under the revised security arrangement.
