Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Monday imposed a 24-hour curfew on Igbajo, Boluwaduro Local Government Area, following a breakdown of law and order in the community.
According to the state government, the unrest began on Sunday night and continued into the early hours of Monday. The incident is believed to be connected to tensions arising from the death of Prince Adegboyega Famodun, who passed away last week after a brief illness.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Governor Adeleke ordered an immediate total lockdown to prevent further escalation.
Adeleke condemned the violence, stating that his administration would not tolerate any form of civil disobedience capable of disrupting peace in the state. “My administration will always not be a party to any untoward civil disobedience capable of truncating the existing peace and harmony being currently experienced throughout Osun State, Igbajo inclusive,” he said.
He expressed shock over the situation, stressing that the government would not fold its arms and allow disorder to spread. “Therefore, as the Chief Security Officer of Osun State, I hereby declare with immediate effect a total lockdown of the town pending the return to orderliness and harmonious coexistence in the hitherto peaceful and orderly Igbajo town,” the governor added.
Adeleke also directed the Army, Police, DSS, and NSCDC to begin 24-hour surveillance of the community to restore calm. He issued a strong warning to residents, cautioning that anyone caught instigating or participating in actions capable of worsening the crisis would face the full weight of the law.
The unrest follows the passing of Prince Famodun, the former chairman of the Osun All Progressives Congress and the embattled 30th Owa of Igbajo, who died at 67. Famodun’s kingship has been the subject of a prolonged dispute. He was installed in 2022 during the last days of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administration but was later removed by Adeleke through an executive order that installed Oba Ademola Makinde.
In January 2025, the Osun State High Court reinstated Oba Famodun, but the ruling is currently being challenged on appeal — a legal battle believed to have contributed to rising tensions in the town.
