The House of Representatives has decided to take action regarding the escalating security situation in Osun State by establishing an ad hoc committee to conduct a thorough investigation.
The decision follows a motion by Honourable Bamidele Salam, who called for urgent intervention to prevent further violence and unrest in the state.
In addition to setting up the committee, the House has also urged security agencies to step up efforts to restore peace and order in the region.
This resolution comes in the wake of deadly clashes on Monday, which resulted in the deaths of at least six people. The violence was reportedly triggered by a controversial Court of Appeal ruling, which allegedly reinstated local government chairmen and councillors elected under the All Progressives Congress in Osun State.
The dispute over the reinstatement of the APC-elected officials led to violent clashes in areas such as Oshogbo, the state capital, as well as Ikire and Irewole local government areas. The unrest culminated in the death of Remi Abbas, one of the reinstated council chairmen, alongside other victims.
The ruling People’s Democratic Party and the opposition APC are both accusing each other of inciting violence, each blaming the other for the ongoing unrest. In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the National Secretary of the APC, called for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Osun State.
However, Kolapo Alimi, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, strongly rejected this suggestion. Alimi accused the APC of intentionally stirring up trouble to destabilize the state and undermine the government. He also vowed to release the names of those killed in the violence, dismissing the claim that the Court of Appeal had reinstated the local government officials.
As tensions remain high in the state, the calls for peace and intervention grow louder, with both parties standing firm in their positions.
Alimi rejected the call for a state of emergency, saying, “I call on our amiable president to reject the call of Honourable Bashiru and his cohorts. That is exactly what they are targeting, they deliberately caused mayhem in this state.
“We are going to publish the names of our members that have been killed. There is no court of appeal that restored them, we urge them to toe the line of peace.”
