In order to speedily restore peace in Owo town, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has imposed a dawn-to-dusk curfew till further notice sequel to the cult clash and unrest that has been roiling the ancient town.
A statement issued and signed by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, ordered all residents to remain indoors during the curfew except those on essential services, such as hospitals, emergency services, and law enforcement.
The government also directed security agencies in the state to enforce the curfew, ensure safety of lives and properties, as well as arrest perpetrators of the violence in the community with a view to bringing them to account.
At least four persons were confirmed dead in a violent clash between two rival cult groups in Owo, Sunday, spilling to the early hours of Monday.
A report by Thisday online cited a source saying that the tragic incident was a renewed cult clash, a cumulation of past crises between rival cults groups fomenting trouble in the state.
The newspaper also reported that a former vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the local government, Mr. Fisayo Oladipupo, was among the victims of the cult clash.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the clash but said: “We can’t confirm if an APC chieftain was affected, but four people have been confirmed dead.”
The PPRO, however, assured that order has been restored and normalcy has also returned to the affected area through the intervention of the police.
The police spokesperson also informed that operatives are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.
