By James OgunnaikeOGUN

ABEOKUTA — PALPABLE fear has enveloped Ikenne, the headquarters of Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, as the lingering Obaship tussle in the ancient town took a new dimension last Friday, as alleged loyalists of a Prince went berserk, matcheting those believed to be supporters of the Alakenne of Ikenne Remo, Oba Adeyinka Onakade.

It was gathered that during the attack, a supporter of the royal father, Mr Adetayo Odumosu, popularly called Aare, who was said to be a hypertensive patient, collapsed and died out of shock created by the pandemonium.
Odumosu, aged 59, was buried on Saturday.

It was further learned that the house of the traditional ruler was also attacked during the crisis.
A source, who spoke with our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said: “It is a lingering Obaship tussle that took a turn for the worst on Friday night. What happened was that a Prince and his supporters have been at loggerheads with the Alakenne of Ikenne, Oba Onakade for some time now.

“The matter, I learned, had been decided in favour of Alakenne at the Ogun State High Court, Sagamu and that the other party had equally approached an Appeal Court for further litigation on the matter.

“The Appeal Court, last week Tuesday, reserved judgement on the matter to a date that will be communicated to both parties. However, it was gathered that on Friday night, some security agents suspected to be of the Department of State Security, DSS, came to pick up the Prince.

“The DSS was said to have invited him several times but he failed to honour their invitation, which made the security agents come around to pick him up. This development made his supporters go haywire searching for the supporters and chiefs of the Alakenne all over the community.

“Those that got wind of the attack ran away while some were not so lucky and were mercilessly macheted. Those attacked were one Roluga, Chief Shobanjo, the Oluwo and Chief Kehinde Ogunnaike popularly called Eleyele, a commercial driver.

“The other one that died, Mr Adetayo Odumosu also known as Aare, was said to have been hypertensive and it was out of fear, created by the pandemonium that he slumped and died. He was 59 years old and was buried on Saturday.”

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu confirmed the incident to our correspondent last Sunday.
The CP affirmed that the Police Mobile Force as well as conventional police have been deployed to the town to restore law and order.

Alamutu said: “I have confirmed the incident and we have deployed the Police Mobile Force and the conventional police to the town to bring the situation under control. The crisis has to do with the lingering obaship tussle in the town.

“I have also confirmed that it was the DSS officials that came to pick up the other man after which his loyalists were said to have gone to town to foment crisis.

“The death recorded was not because the deceased was attacked, I learned he had been having health issues and that he died probably of shock thinking that he could also be attacked.

“The police are on top of the situation and very soon, those responsible for the attack would be apprehended and dealt with according to the dictates of the law of the land.”