Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed residents of Osun State, including politicians from all parties, to stay away from local government secretariats to prevent further violence and safeguard public property.
The directive follows the recent attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forcefully take over local government administrations, a move Adeleke described as illegal.
He emphasized that with local government workers currently on strike, only security operatives should be allowed near the secretariats.
“I, therefore, direct all law-abiding Osun residents to stay away from the council secretariats, especially as they are expected to be under lock and key,” Adeleke stated.
The governor also extended his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the ongoing crisis, attributing the violence to APC-backed thugs.
“I condole with the families of victims of the APC’s illegal takeover bid and the chaos unleashed across the state. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost five members, with several others wounded. Two of the deceased were from Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government, two more were killed in Ola Oluwa Local Government, and another was lost in Ikire. We must stop the bloodshed,” he lamented.
Adeleke reassured residents of their safety, stating that he has instructed security agencies to take full control of all local government secretariats.
“The protection of lives and properties remains our priority. I have directed security agencies to take charge of all local government secretariats to ensure peace and order,” he affirmed.