The Osun State Police Command announced on Thursday that it had apprehended several individuals in connection with the violent clashes between rival cult groups in the eastern part of the state, specifically in Ilesa.
These actions followed a directive issued by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday, urging state security agencies to put an end to the series of violent incidents that had resulted in the deaths of approximately five residents in less than one week….CONTINUE READING
During this period, tragic events unfolded in various locations within the Ilesa metropolis, including Imo, Sabo/Irojo Junction, and Oke Omiru, where five people lost their lives in confrontations between the Aye and Eye cult groups vying for dominance in the town.
Local residents, in interviews, expressed their concerns about the detrimental impact of these killings on the town’s socio-economic activities and attributed them to the ongoing rivalry between two cult groups.
Governor Adeleke, in a statement released on Wednesday through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, denounced the violence, describing it as “shocking and reprehensible.
He called upon the police and other security agencies to take decisive action to quell the cult clashes, emphasizing that such actions threatened law and order and could not be tolerated.
Adeleke stated, “This is a matter that threatens law and order. We must enforce the law and ensure peace without delay. This is one violence too many.
I have directed the Commissioner of Police and other service chiefs to swing into action without delay. Violence and attacks must stop, and perpetrators must be brought to justice as urgently as possible.”
Providing an update on the security situation in the town during an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, the state Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, disclosed that “Some arrests have been made” but did not specify the exact number of individuals detained.
She stated, “We are still pursuing some of the perpetrators who are attempting to flee. Nevertheless, we are continuing our pursuit.
Normalcy has been restored to the town. We have made arrests related to the incident, but I cannot provide the exact number of those in custody at this moment.”
The PUNCH reported that two suspected cult members were fatally shot at Imo junction, and two more lost their lives near Sabo/Irojo Junction on Tuesday afternoon, in what was believed to be retaliatory acts following the earlier Imo incident.
The most recent fatality, occurring around 7:49 pm on Tuesday in the Oke Omiru area, was considered a reprisal of the preceding attack.
