Pandemonium broke out on Monday at Owo town, the headquarters of Owo local government area of Ondo State, as a result of a shootout by suspected members of two rival cult gangs, which led to the death of about four people in the ancient town.
Our correspondent gathered that commercial activities were grounded as shops were hurriedly locked up in fear of reprisal attacks by cultists as a result of the killings.
A source who does not want his name mentioned hinted that the violence could be linked to a feud that dates back over a decade, during which several residents lost their lives in gang clashes.
According to sources, the incident happened on Sunday and continued until the early hours of Monday.
According to him, on Sunday, 5th January, a 52-year-old man, Fisayo Oladipupo, was reportedly shot by unknown assailants.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the incident started around 2:00 am on Monday when the gunmen stormed the house of the deceased in Owo to perpetrate the evil act.
It was also gathered that Mr Fisayo Oladipo, popularly called (Fissey Ehin Ogbe) when alive, was the former youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and a prominent party member in the local government.
Apart from Oladipupo, LEADERSHIP gathered that a mother and her child, who were passersby, were also killed by stray bullets in a reprisal attack.
He further stated, “The man killed on Sunday knew his attacker, and that may have led to his death,” the source said. Fifteen years ago, the father’s house of the alleged attacker was set ablaze by local youths. In a retaliatory act, the father’s home of the victim was torched on Monday, 6th January”.
In a viral video obtained by LEADERSHIP, a yet-to-be-identified man was seen lying lifeless on the road as residents fled for safety.
When contacted, the Police Spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the incident and hinted that normalcy had returned to the town.
Odunlami-Omisanya said, “We can’t confirm if an APC chieftain is affected, but four people have been confirmed dead; Normalcy has returned through the intervention of the Police, and efforts are on to arrest perpetrators of the act.”
Meanwhile, the Ondo State governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has announced a dawn-to-dusk curfew in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area, following the escalation of violent cult clashes in the town.
Pandemonium erupted on Monday due to a shootout between suspected members of two rival cult gangs, resulting in the deaths of approximately four individuals in the ancient town.
Sources indicate that the violence began on Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday. On January 5th, a 52-year-old man, Fisayo Oladipupo, a former youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a prominent party member in the local government, was shot by unknown assailants.
In addition to Oladipupo, three others, including a mother and her child who were innocent passersby, lost their lives to a stray bullet during a reprisal attack.
In a statement issued by the governor’s chief press secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, Governor Aiyedatiwa directed all residents of Owo to remain indoors during the curfew hours.
He stated, “Due to the ongoing violent cult clashes and security disturbances in Owo, which have led to loss of lives, the Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has ordered a dawn-to-dusk curfew in the town until further notice.
“All residents are required to stay indoors during the curfew. Only essential services, such as hospitals, emergency services, and law enforcement, will be exempted.
“The Governor has also instructed security agencies in the state to enforce the curfew, ensure the safety of lives and property, apprehend the perpetrators of the violence, and restore peace to the community.
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