• Attack on Ooni’s palace repelled

There is growing fears among residents of Modakeke and Ile-Ife communities following the discovery of five corpses of farmers who were allegedly ambushed and gruesomely murdered by unknown gunmen on Friday morning.

According tot reports, the five farmers who were going to farm on motorcycles were waylaid along Toro area via Alape by the gunmen who shot them several times before macheting them.

A resident said the people of Modakeke and police evacuated the corpses from the area and deposited them at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching hospital, Ile-Ife.

Residents of Modakeke alleged that the assailants were from Ile-Ife. This has aggravated tension in the two communities.

It was reliably gathered that mob besieged the palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi at Enuwa to forcefully enter the premises, however, youths of Ife repelled the mob.

The Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mrs Abiodun Ige and an Army captain visited the palaces of Modakeke and Ile-Ife to sue for peace.

The Lowa of Ife, High Chief Adekola Adeyeye, alleged that, “some of the residents of Modakeke under the guise of escorting Police to OAUTH attempted to attack the palace. Over 200 of them on motorcycles followed the dead bodies to the hospital and were unruly on the road. While they were trying to attack the palace, we arrested about five of them and confiscated several motorcycles. We handed over those arrested to the police.

“We met the Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode and Ife area commander who assured us of adequate policing to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.

“The presence of Police has doused tension presently and he has also assured us that the perpetrators would be brought to book. I call on Ife residents, on behalf of the Kabiyesi, to remain calm, and should not be provoked to pick up arms against anyone. Ooni Ogunwusi is a man of peace and peace must continue to reign in his domain.”

Also, a community leader in Modakeke, Femi Eluyinka disclosed that military men have been deployed to the communities to maintain peace.

“The Commissioner of Police led the delegation to hold a meeting with the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Moses Oyediran and other community leaders in need to keep law and order.”

A statement by the spokesperson of Osun State Police Command, SP Yemisi Opalola, confirmed that the Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, assured the residents of Alape via Modakeke area of adequate security coverage.

“CP Olokode led the Police Response Team and Tactical Unit of the Command to the scene of the incident where about five people were fiercely murdered in the early hours of today, 20th August 2021.

“The CP appeals to the residents of the area to remain calm as the command is resolute to get to the root cause of the dastardly act and the perpetrator will be brought to book.

“The Commissioner of Police urges the residents of the area to avail the Command credible information that will fast track the arrest of the perpetrator of the evil act.”

The Osun State Government on Friday appealed to the people of Modakeke and Ile-Ife not to allow criminal elements to seize any situation to unleash mayhem on the people.

The government also ordered immediate deployment of armed policemen with support from the army in the troubled areas to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.

The State Information Commissioner, Mrs Funke Egbemode, said these in a statement she released on Friday evening after a meeting of government officials with heads of security agencies, where the situation in the Ife and Modakeke areas was critically examined.

The government, while sympathising with the families of those that died in the unfortunate incident, also called on security operatives to get to the root of the circumstances leading to the death of the deceased.

It also counselled residents and citizens not to take the laws into their hands.

“Mr Governor personally spoke to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Moses Oyediran Oladejo and they both assured him of their commitment to peace by ensuring that the people from both areas also continue to remain peaceful and law-abiding.

“As a government, we are resolved to do everything possible to protect citizens from actual and potential threats. To this end, we have ordered immediate deployment of security operatives to restore law and order.

“We have also directed security operatives to arrest and prosecute any person found fomenting trouble and to fish out those responsible for the killing of the five farmers.

“Government enjoins all citizens to be peaceful and to be law-abiding as all efforts shall be made to protect them and their property,” the statement added.