POLICE HUNT CULT SUSPECT OVER RIVAL’S DEATH AT MASQUERADE FESTIVAL
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By Oduola F.A.
Residents of the Oke Ola Community in Osogbo have been thrown into palpable fear following the reported killing of a resident identified simply as Kazeem by a suspected cultist.
During a visit to the community on Monday by newsmen, armed police operatives were observed in strategic positions, apparently to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
A resident, who was close to the scene of the crime, and who preferred anonymity for security reasons, said Kazeem was shot in the head by a suspected cultists, who had followed a masquerade to the area.
Another resident of the community, a woman, who sells groceries close to the scene of the crime, said the clash that claimed Kazeem’s life occurred around 7pm on Sunday when some men suspected to be members of the Eiye Confraternity, moving with a masquerade, engaged a rival group in Oke Ola community in bloody clashes.
“From where I was, I could see what was going on easily. One Tajudeen from Oke Baale, a leader of the Eiye Confraternity, and his men followed a masquerade to Oke Ola when the incident happened.
“The group led by Tajudeen engaged another cult group based in Oke Ola here in bloody clashes, and during the fight, Kazeem was shot in the head. He died on the spot.
“Some other people also got injured because they used all manner of weapons during the fight. But that Tajudeen was mentioned repeatedly as the person who fired the shot. The incident happened about 7pm on Sunday,” she said.
She added that the situation was later brought under control when armed police operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit, responding to a distress call from the area, arrived at the scene.
The lady also said, “Many of us living in this area ran inside to avoid being hit. The arrival of some anti-cultism policemen restored order. Those cultists ran away when policemen arrived.
“The masquerade that brought them didn’t have police escorts. A police vehicle carried the corpse of the deceased away, and they have stationed men in our area since then. You can still see them around, but we are all still apprehensive.”
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident.
Ojelabi, who said operatives had launched a manhunt for those involved in the crime, warned that the police would not tolerate any act of lawlessness in the state.
Ojelabi said, “The incident happened on Sunday, and we have launched a manhunt for those involved.
“Those hoodlums used the opportunity of the masquerade festival to perpetrate the crime. We are yet to arrest anyone, but we are on their trail. One person was killed.”
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