Former Minister of Police Affairs, Oyewale Adesiyan, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Osun State, citing escalating political instability and communal clashes. In a statement issued in Osogbo, Adesiyan emphasized the need to invoke Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution to restore order.

Adesiyan highlighted a series of crises, including the governor’s alleged refusal to comply with Court of Appeal decisions regarding local government disputes, leading to unrest and fatalities. He also pointed to recent communal clashes between the Ilobu and Ifon communities, which resulted in multiple deaths and displacement of residents.

“As a watcher of events in Osun State in the last few months, we could see breakdown of law and order in the state. Beginning from local government crisis where the governor of the state refused to obey the pronouncements of the Court of Appeal and sought to glorify the state High Court above Court of Appeal in a case already decided and un-appealed at the highest court of the land.

“Where the chief executive indulges in disobeying the law, the resultant effect is a state of anarchy. This single event leads to the deaths of scores of innocent people, including reinstated Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Remi Abass.

“With the political instabilities in Osun State and having an incompetent governor to handle the situation in the fragile state, I think it is better to invoke the relevant portion of the constitution to restore peace to Osun State.”

Adesiyan’s call for a state of emergency has sparked debate, with some viewing it as a necessary step to restore order, while others see it as politically motivated. The state government has dismissed the call as a “senseless afterthought from a frustrated naysayer.”

However, in response to the violence, Governor Ademola Adeleke imposed a 24-hour curfew in the affected areas and extended it to Erin-Osun town to curb further escalation.

Similarly, the Osun State House of Assembly has called for relief materials for victims of the communal crisis and urged security agencies to restore peace.