How Monarch Strangled Before Inferno-neighbour

Some chiefs and residents of Ilashe Ijesa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday narrated how the monach of the town, Oba Adesina Anibijuwon, was killed by suspected members of Odua People's Congress, who allegedly strangled him and left his corpse inside his residence which they set ablaze.

Those who recovered his corpse from the building said the charred remains of Anibijuwon were taken to the mortuary at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Osogbo by Osun Ambulance Service at around 10.30pm on Wednesday.

The ambulance that conveyed the remains of the monarch was said to have been escorted to the mortuary by armed policemen and some residents. The residents feared that those who killed him might want to seize his corpse.

Some residents who also spoke with our correspondent said the officials of the state fire service, who came to put out the inferno, ran out of water.

Some residents wondered why some chiefs in the town went into hiding when the hoodlums invaded the palace, urging the police to interrogate them to see if they were culpable.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sunday Akere; his counterpart at the Ministry of Home, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Sikiru Ayedun; and the Special Adviser on Security, Mr. Amos Adekunle, who visited the town expressed shock on seeing the extent of damage done to the residence of the traditional ruler.

Our correspondent, who also visited the town, observed that the upper floor of the two-storey building where the monarch resided was completely razed.

One of the chiefs, Adejumo Operinmade, told PUNCH Metro that he was informed that some persons, who claimed to be OPC members, came and demanded to see the monarch, but they were told that he was asleep.

He stated that the strange visitors came back and they pointed a gun to the head of the monarch's housemaid. They allegedly went to late Anibijuwon's room and strangled the octogenarian monarch who had been blind for over nine years.

Operinmade said, "We were told that some gunmen who claimed to be OPC members came and wanted to see Kabiyesi but they were told that he was sleeping.

"They came back and held the housemaid living with Kabiyesi hostage and went to where Kabiyesi was sleeping. But immediately they came out, fire started and Kabiyesi was burnt inside the house. His corpse was taken to the mortuary at LAUTECH."

The Sasore of Ilase, Chief Oluwagbemiga Oke, said there was no land dispute or chieftaincy tussle in the town, wondering why the suspected arsonists killed the monarch.

Chief Jumoke Ogunkeyede, whose brother gave the burnt residence to the monarch, also said he heard that the hoodlums, who perpetrated the act, had an accident at the outskirts of the town while escaping from the scene.

He said, "We heard that they came in a red Mazda 323 and their car veered off into the bush while they were speeding away. We called journalists from Osun State Broadcasting Corporation at Ibokun, but when they got there to take photographs of the car, they saw that the it had been set ablaze.

"They also removed the number plate of the car. I believe that they set the car ablaze to hide their identities. But the police could still find a way of unraveling those behind the killing and arson."

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, told our correspondent on the telephone that the command had commenced investigation into the matter.

She said, "We are pleading with members of the public to always furnish police with information any time they suspect strange persons and movement in their areas. This will assist the police to prevent crimes."