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.
Commercial activities were grounded as shops were hurriedly locked up in fear of reprisal attacks by the cultists as a result of the killings.
A source who do not want his name mentioned hinted that the violence could be linked to a feud that dates back to over a decade, during which several residents lost their lives in gang clashes.
The incident, according to the source, happened on Sunday, and it continued until the early hours of Monday.
According to him, on Sunday, January 5, a 52-year-old man, Fisayo Oladipupo, was reportedly shot by unknown assailants.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the incident started around 2:00am on Monday morning 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 youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and prominent member of the party in the local government area.
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 that, “The man killed on Sunday knew his attacker, and that may have led to his death,” the source stated. Fifteen years ago, the father’s house of the alleged attacker was set ablaze by local youths. In a retaliatory act, the father’s house of the latest 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 Ondo State Police Spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the incident, hinted that normalcy has since 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, efforts are on to arrest perpetrators of the act.”
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