Even as the Osun State Government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Thursday, a student of Westland Polytechnic, Ilobu, was reportedly shot dead amidst the ongoing communal crisis between the Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State.
The violence, which has escalated in recent days, continues to disrupt peace in the affected areas.
According to the National President of the Ilobu-Asake Development Union, Olufemi Salako, the incident allegedly occurred at about 11 am when armed individuals, purportedly from Ifon-Osun, invaded the Ganga and Oke-Ima areas of Ilobu.
Eyewitness accounts suggest the attackers fired indiscriminately, causing panic and further worsening tensions.
Salako confirmed that the fatal shooting reportedly took place hours before the state government imposed a curfew in response to the deteriorating situation.
Efforts to resolve the conflict are ongoing, with community leaders and government officials urging calm. However, tensions remain high, and the security presence has been intensified to prevent further loss of life.
In a statement released to journalists, Salako said: “The people of Ilobu hereby use this medium to report to the Osun State Government, Security Agencies, and the world at large that hoodlums and invaders from Ifon-Osun have today, Thursday, 16th January, killed a student of the Department of Computer Science, Westland Polytechnic, Ilobu.
“The attackers this afternoon shot an innocent and harmless student of the Polytechnic located in the Oke-Ima area of Ilobu. The armed-to-the-teeth hoodlums stormed Ganga and Oke-Ima on Thursday morning at around 11 am and started shooting at every living and non-living object in sight. The student, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, is one of their victims.
“For emphasis, Oke-Ima is less than two kilometres from the palace of the Olobu of Ilobu, and the community houses eminent personalities, including the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuff. This shows that the invaders knowingly entered the inner streets of Ilobu.”
Calling on the Osun State Government to immediately summon the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Peter Ipadeola, to answer for the killings and destruction of property, Salako said the patience of the Ilobu community is being stretched to breaking point.
When contacted for a reaction, the Secretary of the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union, Jide Akinyooye, dismissed the allegations.
“They are not being truthful. We didn’t go to their town. Hoodlums sent from Ilobu today seized and destroyed three motorcycles belonging to Ifon people. Our people in Ifon didn’t go to Ilobu to attack anyone.
“Security agencies should look into the allegations with a view to arresting the perpetrators. For emphasis, I can tell you that we didn’t attack or shoot anyone. Hoodlums from Ilobu should be asked questions regarding whatever incident occurred,” Akinyooye said.
Efforts to obtain a statement from the Osun State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as calls to the Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, went unanswered. A response to a text message sent to her was still pending at the time of this report.
Local authorities have confirmed the death, describing it as another tragic outcome of the ongoing hostilities. The crisis has claimed multiple lives and displaced residents, with security agencies struggling to restore order.
