No fewer than four persons have been feared dead, with many people reportedly shot by suspected hoodlums who appeared in police uniform after a crisis erupted from the appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi as the Olojudo of Ido-Ajegunle, a town within Esa-Oke in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State by the state government.
Ido-Ajegunle is a town within Esa-Oke, the hosting community of the Osun State College of Technology.
EkweAnaedo learnt the dispute which started over the weekend snowballed into a communal crisis on Monday as indigene of town alleged that the monarch was from Ilesa.
The incident has thrown residents and indigenes of the towns into palpable fear, as many scrambled for safety.
Fielding questions from members of Correspondents’ Chapel, representative of Esa-Oke Central Union, Oladiti Awodiran, confirmed said pandemonium broke out as a result of the appointment of a stranger as Oba in a community within Esa-Oke town.
“It is with utmost regret and profound sadness that I have to address you this afternoon concerning the tragic event that occured today in Esa OKE an hitherto peaceful community in Obokun local government of Osun State.
“My heart bleeds and my head aches as I stand before you today to inform you that men in Police uniform invaded Esa OKE community and started shooting sporadically leading to the death of no fewer than 4 Youth while several others were wounded in the mayhem.
“The pandemonium broke out as a result of the announcement by Governor ADEMOLA ADELEKE that a stranger has been appointed as Oba or Baale in a community within Esa OKE Town.
“The Esa OKE community had in the past vehemently resisted The attempt to install an oba or Baale in the community as the said settlement is Right inside Esa OKE Town a few meters to the campus of OSUN State College of Technology Esa OKE.
“To us, The appointment of a Baale or Oba on another town’s territory negates all logic, tradition and history.
“ESA OKE is in IJESA North Federal constituency, The settlement (IDO AJEGUNLE) on which a monarch was appointed by Owa of Ilesa is Unit eleven a polling station under Esa OKE.
“As I stand here to address you, Youth in Esa OKE are being arrested arbitrarily and are being moved to unknown places.
“Our sons, Hon Oluwole Oke, The chairman Esa OKE Central Union Otunba Yinusa Bamgboye, Lawyer Gbite Adeniyi, Professor Siji Olamiju, Prince Banji Ademiku and concerned family The Asalu Family of Esa Oke as well as host of other well meaning Esa OKE sons and daughters have waded into the matter and the Esa OKE community had resolved to follow the path of law and peace before today’s unfortunate I’m incident.
“We are calling on the Osun State commission of Police, Director of DSS Osun State, office of the special Adviser to investigate the killing in Esa OKE today”
Reacting, Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola said police operatives have been deployed to restore peace in the area
Opalola said: “Police operatives have been deployed to restore peace. Seven policemen were shot when they first arrived the community.
“When we heard that there was crisis in the community, we deployed our men to the communities, then they were ambushed.
“The policemen were trying to clear the trees that they fell on their path when they were ambushed. Bullet hit one of them on the neck”.
Findings also revealed that students of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, are on red alert as residents of adjoining communities called on the state government to arrest the situation before it further degenerates.
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