Kwara relaxes curfew as calm returns to Ilorin

Residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, are now free to operate between 8am and 6pm with effect from Monday October 26, the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said.

The governor had imposed a 24-hour curfew on the people of the metropolis following massive looting and destruction of government property and private businesses in Iloorin on Friday and Saturday.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, titled, ‘Update on curfew in Ilorin metropolis (Kwara State)’, said the decision to review the curfew was taken at a security council meeting with heads of the security agencies in the state on Sunday evening.

“A review of the situation in the Ilorin metropolis suggested a relative calm. The meeting observed that the objective of the curfew has largely been achieved as the misguided elements who looted and vandalised public and private properties have been pushed back and normalcy restored.

“Consequently, the security council resolved to relax the curfew from 24 hours to between 6pm and 8am daily until further notice. This means members of the public can move around between 8am and 6pm daily within the metropolis.”

The state government, according to the statement, will continue to review the situation and take decisions that are in the best interest of the state.

The hoodlums had invaded the Ilorin office of the Nigeria Customs Service in an attempt to loot truckloads of seized smuggled. Some other people trooped to the cargo section of the Ilorin airport and engaged in massive looting of COVID-19 palliative materials.

There were reports of hoodlums breaking into shops and offices in places such as Fate Road and Taiwo Road and embarked on looting spree.

Customs personnel on duty had reportedly engaged the miscreants who visited their Ilorin office and this led to the death of at least four people.