Esa-oke Chieftaincy: Police Officers Wounded In Civil clash
A violent clash over a chieftaincy dispute in Esa-Oke, Osun State, left at least seven police officers and several residents injured on Monday after they were attacked by unknown assailants.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers, dressed in black, arrived in a bus and opened fire on residents. Some sources, who spoke anonymously for fear of being targeted, alleged that the attackers were hired thugs involved in the dispute over the selection of a new monarch for Ido Ajegunle.
Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident in a statement, explaining that the police officers were on their way to Esa-Oke in response to a distress call when they were ambushed.
“Seven police officers were shot. One of them was hit in the neck. They were going to Esa-Oke when they ran into a barricade. As they attempted to clear the obstruction, gunmen started shooting at them. However, we have deployed more personnel to the area to restore order,” Opalola stated.
The unrest followed the Osun State Government’s recent appointment of Prince Timileyin Oluyemi Ajayi, a UK-based information and telecommunications expert, as the Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle. Shortly after the announcement, Esa-Oke residents staged a protest, claiming Ido Ajegunle was a village under the rule of Oba Adeyemi Adediran, the Owamiran of Esa-Oke. They also opposed Ajayi’s selection, citing his origins from Ilesa.
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Tensions escalated further on Friday when residents organised a peaceful demonstration against the appointment. However, the situation turned violent on Monday when a busload of gunmen allegedly fired at people near the Esa-Oke Police Divisional Headquarters.
Videos from the scene showed five people covered in blood, reportedly wounded by gunfire.
A resident, Oladele, linked the attack to the monarchial dispute, saying, “The shooters are suspected thugs. They were heading to the police divisional headquarters when they started shooting at people. This is all because an indigene of Ilesa was appointed as the monarch of Ido Ajegunle, which we believe is under Esa-Oke’s jurisdiction.”
In response to the violence, Osun State’s Amotekun Corps and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) confirmed they had deployed officers to maintain peace in the area. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as investigations into the attack are underway.
Content Credit| Oyedepo Oluwafifedoyinsola Precious
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