By Ayodele Oni
Following escalation of bloody clashes among some rival groups in Akoko area of Ondo state, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast Local Government Area with immediate effect.
The announcement of the curfew on Thursday has turned the commercial town to a ghost of itself as people stay put in their various homes with shops under lock and key.
The incident at Ikare-Akoko started since Monday when a rival group reportedly attempted to infiltrate into a meeting of another, which led to pandemonium that resorted to sporadic shooting by the two rival groups in the area.
It was learnt that the bloody crisis left life-threatening injuries on some members of the duo groups.
It was further gathered that an attempt by a group of youths to stage New Year Carnival at Okoja area which attracted resistance from an opposing section of the community led to the melee.
The town had been engulfed in communal crisis for sometimes which also led to the closure of the Ikare central mosque for several months.
The state police command through the Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami Omisanya, in a reaction said combined team of soldiers and policemen had been deployed to restore normalcy.
The state security council met on Thursday to review the situation and opted for imposition of curfew to restore peace in the town.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde stated that “The decision was made at the State Security Council meeting chaired by the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, CON.
“This follows the escalated violent clash in the town since Tuesday which has continued unabated, despite the meeting held by Government and the Olukare of Ikare, Oba Akadiri Momoh and Owa Ale of Iyometa, Oba Adeleke Adegbite to rein-in their subjects.
“Security agencies have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the order just as investigations are already on to unravel the real cause(s) of the violent clash.
“For emphasis, Ikare Akoko has been closed down for any unathourized human movement and activity until further notice.”
