Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has announced a relaxation of the 17-hour curfew previously imposed on the communities of Ilobu, Ifon, and Erin Osun, reducing it to 12 hours daily.
The decision, effective from Tuesday, April 8, 2025, comes as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) approaches on April 24, ensuring that students in the affected areas can participate without disruption.
The three communities have recently experienced deadly communal clashes, resulting in numerous casualties and widespread destruction of property by hoodlums.
In response to signs of restoring calm, Governor Adeleke adjusted the curfew, a move detailed in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
Alimi explained that the governor’s decision followed security updates indicating a steady return of peace. “The relaxation of the curfew is sequel to the different security reports reaching the governor that the much-expected ceasefire is taking centre stage on a daily basis,” he said.
“Accordingly, the governor has directed that the curfew should, beginning from today, Tuesday (08/4/2025) commence from 7 pm to 7 am on a daily basis until further notice,” he added.
The adjusted curfew aims to support students preparing for critical examinations, including the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).
Governor Adeleke emphasized his administration’s dedication to resolving the conflict peacefully, praising the traditional rulers and residents for their efforts in stabilizing the region.
“In the same vein, the new trend in the time frame of the curfew, will also allow our children who want to write WAEC, NECO and JAMB Examinations to be able to do so without any form of hindrance, as we cannot allow their future to be mortgaged,” Adeleke stated.
“However, I am still directing that the joint security team, comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, should continue to maintain their usual 24-hour surveillance to ensure zero tolerance on any act of lawlessness.”
He further warned that anyone found instigating or supporting unrest would face legal consequences.
“This is not without reiterating the need for all stakeholders to cooperate by embracing the much-sought peace in the three communities as anybody, group or community caught or found wanting in fomenting or aiding the crisis in one way or the other will be made to face the music in line with the dictates of the law of Nigeria,” the governor said.
Adeleke also instructed the 100-member crisis resolution committee, established to address the disputes in Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun, to hasten their efforts toward a permanent solution. He stressed that his government, alongside the people of Osun State, expects nothing less than a lasting resolution to the longstanding communal tensions.
“It is only in an atmosphere of peace and unity that the much-sought growth and development can be achieved in the three communities of Ifon, Ilobu and Erin Osun as well as the entire state,” Adeleke concluded, calling on residents both locally and in the diaspora to support his administration’s peace initiatives.
