A student of Westland Polytechnic, Ilobu, was shot dead Thursday morning amid escalating violence between the Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State. The incident occurred just hours before the state government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in an effort to quell the ongoing unrest.
According to Olufemi Salako, National President of the Ilobu-Asake Development Union, the attack took place around 11 a.m. when armed individuals, allegedly from Ifon-Osun, entered the Ganga and Oke-Ima areas of Ilobu. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers fired indiscriminately, causing widespread panic and further inflaming tensions.
Salako confirmed the student’s death, though the victim’s identity had not been verified at the time of the report. The shooting occurred shortly before the Osun State government implemented the curfew to address the escalating violence between the two communities.
In a statement, Salako condemned the attack, calling it a direct assault on the Ilobu community. “The hoodlums from Ifon-Osun killed an innocent student in the Oke-Ima area of Ilobu. They stormed the area at around 11 a.m. and began firing at anything in sight,” he said. “Oke-Ima is less than two kilometers from the palace of the Olobu of Ilobu, showing that the attackers deliberately entered the inner streets of Ilobu.”
Salako also called on the Osun State government to hold the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Peter Ipadeola, accountable for the violence. “The patience of the Ilobu community is being stretched to its limit,” he added.
In response, Jide Akinyooye, Secretary of the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union, denied the allegations, claiming that no attack had been carried out by people from Ifon. “Hoodlums from Ilobu seized and destroyed three motorcycles belonging to Ifon people today,” Akinyooye said. “We did not go to Ilobu to attack anyone. Security agencies should investigate the situation and hold the true perpetrators accountable.”
Efforts to reach Osun State Police for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to the Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, went unanswered.
The communal violence has already led to multiple deaths and displacements in the affected areas. Authorities have intensified security measures to prevent further bloodshed, but tensions remain high as the situation continues to develop.