Hoodlums Attack Monarch In Ondo
A monarch, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, the Olu of Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje local government area of Ondo State has been attacked by a gang of notorious hoodlums who unleashed mayhem in his community.
The monarch and several others was said to be holding a meeting with some people at the residence of an High Chief in Igbokoda when they struck.
It was gathered that after the deadly attack at the venue of the meeting, the armed thugs waited for the monarch to die in his pool of blood before he was rescued by some people.
It was also learnt that the hoodlums invaded the meeting with cudgels, clubs, cutlasses, knives and guns, shooting into the air to scare the residents who ran for safety.
A source disclosed to journalists that the monarch, his driver, other aides and some people in the meeting sustained varying degree of injuries, while his car was destroyed by the thugs.
According to the source, “There were no security agents on ground to check the activities of the thugs while the whole attack lasted,” he recounted, adding that some people had promptly intervened by rushing the monarch to the hospital to save his life.
While describing the attack on the monarch as an abomination, the source said that the hoodlums had desecrated the exalted stool of the town and disrespected the whole people and residents of the town.
Speaking with journalists on his sick bed, Oba Odidiomo said that he had earlier visited Mahin Kingdom in the council area with some two other traditional rulers which included the Odode of Gbegunrin, Oba Philip Kalejaiye and the Molokun of Atijere, Oba Samuel Edema.
The monarch informed that the purpose of the journey was to deliberate on a succession plan for the vacant traditional stool of the Mahin Kingdom after the demise of the last monarch some months ago.
Oba Odidiomo disclosed that he visited one of the High Chiefs in the town, Chief Lebi Adepiti, to intimate him of the development, when the incident happened.
He accused one Tale Iwatan of leading the hoodlums to unleash terror on the meeting, saying the leader of the group had attacked him and the palace several times.
According to him, “I came back to Igbokoda in the evening and visited one of the High Chief of the town to brief him on the development and outcome of the meeting. But I hardly entered the room when Tale Iwatan stormed the meeting with large number of armed bearing thugs who came with cutlasses, knives and guns.
“They shot sporadically into the air to scare away people and I came out to meet about five of them and I called the police in the town, but before the policemen could arrive at the scene of the incident, which is also a stone throw to the Nigerian Naval base in Igbokoda, the hoodlums had mobilised more men and attacked us.
“These men, numbering about 20, started attacking us, injuring others, and one of them stabbed me directly at the back of my head after shooting severally, and as if that was not enough, one of them used the cudgel to hit my head at the same time and I passed out.
“They waited for about ten minutes to confirm if I was dead and the leader of the group, Tale Iwatan, confirmed and pronounced me dead before they left the scene but not without destroying my car.”
The monarch lamented that it took the policemen in the town some 50 minutes before getting to the scene of the incident after he had made a call through to the station.
He said that he was revived at the State Specialist Hospital in Igbokoda before he was transferred to another hospital where he is currently receiving treatment.
While confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Femi Joseph, said two of the hoodlums have been arrested by men of the state command in Igbokoda.
Joseph disclosed that the incident occurred around 5:00pm on Wednesday while Iwatan led some four other notorious thugs in the town to Chief Adepiti’s residence where the monarch was holding a meeting.
He, however said that detectives from the command have been on the trail of the two other thugs and Iwatan, who fled the community immediately they carried out their dastardly act.
The police spokesperson assured that the hoodlums would soon be brought to book.
