1 Killed As Hoodlums Fight Over Alms Sharing In Ekiti

There is disquiet in Ekiti as a man, identified as Ojo Deji, brutally lost his life while trying to benefit from alms given by an individual to the destitute in Ado-Ekiti.

The incident, it was gathered, occurred last Saturday in the Atikankan areas of Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.

Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when the kind-hearted man arrived at the spot to distribute cash to the destitute.

A source close to the area, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said some hoodlums, upon sighting the man, rushed to him to get their share of the alms.

He said, “Things, however, turned awry, when a man was stabbed to death, when two groups of hoodlums engaged themselves in a violent clash, in the process of sharing the money given as alms”.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Joseph Eribo, has ordered a discreet investigation into the incident which led to the death of Deji.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Sunday Abutu, disclosed in a statement on Monday that two suspects have been apprehended and are currently undergoing investigation. At the same time, a manhunt has been launched for those at large to get them arrested.

The police spokesman said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that on that fateful day at about 18:45hrs, a yet to be identified man went to Atikankan Area to give alms to the destitute. Upon sighting the man, two groups of suspected hoodlums approached him, begging for money. In the process, a fight ensued between the two groups, in which the deceased was stabbed. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died while receiving medical treatment.”

The Commissioner of Police assures members of the public that justice will be delivered and calls for calm, as no stone will be left unturned.