Kidnappers kill two Ekiti monarchs, one escapes
- Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin
By Emma Ogbuehi
The spectre of insecurity that is haunting the country, on Monday, moved over to the Southwest region, President Bola Tinubu’s geo-political zone.
In Ekiti State, two traditional rulers were attacked and killed by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.
These killings are taking place unabated even as the government claims that insecurity is reducing.
TheNiche gathered that three traditional rulers – the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, and Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, both of Ikole-Ekiti local government area of the state, and Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola, from Oye local government area, were involved in the fatal incident.
- Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola
Elesun and Onimojo were reportedly shot dead by their assailants while the Alara escaped death by the whiskers.
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The trio were said to be travelling along the Oke-Ako Road, Ikole local government area, while returning from a security meeting in Irele-Ekiti when the hoodlums struck.
When contacted, spokesman of the Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, said, “I will get the details and get back please.”
But speaking on the killings, chairman of the Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Michael Ogungbemi, said the gunmen attempted to kidnap the three traditional rulers.
Lamenting the killing of the traditional rulers, Ogungbemi said he had mobilised local security guards, including the Amotekun corps, to comb the forest in a bid to arrest the perpetrators.
“I just returned from the scene of the unfortunate incident along Oke-Ako road and I can confirm that two traditional rulers; the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti and Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti were killed by the gunmen who ambushed them.
“The Alara of Ara-Ekiti managed to escape from the incident, he was the one driving when the incident happened.
“We have evacuated the remains of the monarchs and deposited them in the morgue at the Ikole General Hospital.
“Our local security outfit and Amotekun have been drafted to the scene and the bush to arrest the bandits who committed this dastardly act.”
Ogungbemi, who appealed to the Federal Government to approve use of arms by the local security outfits in the State, said the attacks have been recurring in the area in the last few years.
“I am extremely sad with the situation and I want to call on the government to allow our local security network to carry arms because the traditional ruler who escaped told us the gunmen were carrying AK-47 and other dangerous weapons. These people are killing us and it is becoming unbearable.”
The secretary of Majority Obas of Ekiti Land (MOBEL) and Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde David Olushola who condemned the killing of the traditional rulers said the time has come for the government to localize security system in order to address the growing insecurity in the land.
“The two traditional rulers were active members of our association (MOBEL) and it is very sad.
“We have been talking over the years but government is paying lip service to the issue of security. The time has come for them to localize the issue of security and sit down with the traditional rulers to secure our communities, we know what to do.
“This is not issue about money, government should immediately sit down with the traditional rulers for us to secure our land and maintain peace,” he said.