As fleeing residents of Ilobu and Ifon-Osun now take refuge in many churches, mosques, and other worship centers in Osun State, the Executive Director of Project Implementation at the Federal Housing Authority, Abuja, Mr. Oluremi Omowaiye, on Sunday called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to victims displaced by the Ifon-Osun/Ilobu communal clash.
Omowaiye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the call in a statement in Osogbo. He also urged the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and former Osun governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, to use his office to secure federal assistance for the victims.
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“I am also using this medium to call on ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who is the minister representing Osun in the federal cabinet, to leverage his connections and goodwill to secure immediate aid for these people.
“On behalf of these people, I am pleading with NEMA to intervene and provide relief materials.
“The agency should set up a camp immediately.
“These people are stranded, sleeping in churches and mosques where available, while others have been sleeping at various spots along the Osogbo/Ogbomoso road,” he stated.
“I express my deep concern over the absence of relief efforts more than 72 hours after the clashes began. Over 72 hours later, we still haven’t seen any camp set up or any form of support for those displaced by the violent clashes in Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun,” he lamented.
“The situation is dire, with displaced residents left without shelter, food, or support,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, those leaving the town are now reportedly pitching their tents in religious centers outside the two communities.