Residents of Esa-Oke in the Obokun local government area of Osun State were on Monday thrown into anxiety as gunmen invaded the town in buses shooting sporadically in the town.

This is as police and the community traded blame over the alleged shooting which reportedly led to the death of four persons in the town.

It was gathered that the crisis broke out after the State Government announced one Prince Timileyin Ajayi as the new Olojudo of Ido Ajegunle last week contrary to the wishes of residents of the community.

It was also learnt that a Baale was already installed in the community over six years ago by the Owamirin of Esa-Oke, the consenting authority and in line with the practice in the area since Ido-Ajegunle was founded.

One of the community leaders, Oladiti Awodiran, who spoke on behalf of Esa-Oke Central Union, ECU, said the town which was under Esa-Oke is located behind the College of Technology.

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His words, “My heart bleeds and my head aches as I stand before you today to inform you that men in Police uniform invaded Esa-Oke community and started shooting sporadically leading to the death of no fewer than four youth while several others were wounded in the mayhem

“The pandemonium broke out as a result of the announcement by Governor Ademola Adeleke that a stranger has been appointed as Oba or Baale in a community within Esa OKE Town.

“Esa-Oke is in Ijeaa North Federal constituency, the settlement (IDO AJEGUNLE) on which a monarch was appointed by Owa of Ilesa is unit eleven a polling station under Esa-Oke. To us, The appointment of a Baale or Oba on another town’s territory negates all logic, tradition and history.

“Our community have resolved to follow the path of law to settle the impasse after intervention from prominent indigenes before the unfortunate incident.

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“As I stand here to address you, Youth in Esa-Oke are being arrested arbitrarily and are being moved to unknown places and we are calling on the Osun State commission of Police, Director of DSS Osun State, office of the special Adviser to investigate the killing in Esa-Oke today(Monday)”, he said.

Reacting, Spokesperson, Osun police command, CSP Yemisi Opalola disclosed that the police deployed to ensure law and order in the community were ambushed by some youths in the town and injured seven of the operatives.

Her words, “Police operatives have been deployed to restore peace. Seven policemen were shot when they first arrived the community.

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“When we heard that there was crisis in the community, we deployed our men to the communities, then they were ambushed. The policemen were trying to clear the trees that they fell on on their path when they were ambushed. Bullet hit one of them on the neck”.

Reacting the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi said, “the situation of disruption in Esa-Oke is quite unfortunate, we receive the news with great and huge shock, however security agencies have been drafted to the place and they have restored peace.

“Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered all the party concerns to remain calm while we dig deep to the root cause of the situation. We sympathize with all the victims that were affected. We promise them that justice will be done to their cases”.
(VANGUARD)