By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta
Panic gripped residents of Abeokuta, Ogun state capital yesterday when the news filtered round that, the paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland,Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo  escaped  death  following a mysterious  inferno that destroyed  a section of his palace.

Coincidentally,Speaker of Ogun  state  House of Assembly,  Suraj Adekunbi  lost one of  his official cars to  five-man gang of  armed robbers who waylaid him  on Thursday night  in Abeokuta.

Saturday  Vanguard  learnt that, Adekunbi, who was in company with a security aide,  was forcefully stopped along Abiola way before his official ash Toyota Avensis  marked Ogun AYE 86 AA was  snatched by the robbers at gunpoint.

When contacted, the speaker’s Special Assistant (Media), Waheed Akinola, denied knowledge of the robbery.
Saturday  Vanguard learnt that, the Speaker was driving the car while the security aide sat beside him when the armed robbers waylaid his vehicle.

It was gathered that, the robbers held the Speaker hostage after ordering him and his aide to move to the vehicle’s back seat, before they reportedly  drove the car out of Abeokuta and later dropped them
at Kobape area, along the Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu Expressway.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police command was not aware of the robbery.

However , the  fire at the Alake’s palace  which  occurred on Thursday between1;30am to 2;am.  burnt  the ground floor

reception hall of the one-storey building within  the palace
When Saturday Vanguard visited the palace yesterday, it was observed that, the  hall where the Monarch received august visitors  was totally  in flames.

Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that the incident led to the loss of property  whose worth could not  be ascertained as at the time  of filing this  report.

The incident  however prevented the Monarch from attending the much publicized public presentation of transformers by the state government.