Osun Youths Raze Palace, 12 Vehicles With Petro Bombs After Carnival Turned Violent

Residents of Igbaye town, in Odo Otin Local Government Area of Osun State have continued to count their losses after a carnival held in the town turned violent.

A man identified as Hamzat was reportedly shot dead on Monday when the violence broke out.

It was however gathered on Tuesday that the Palace of the Onigbaye of Igbaye, Oba Joseph Okunlola-Oni, was set ablaze by a faction of the youths who are opposed to his emergence as the Oba of the town.

The faction was set to have regrouped and unleashed terror on the palace following the killing of Hamzat and 10 motorcycles and two cars were said to have been burnt together with the palace.

The youths were said to have bombarded the palace with petrol bombs with which they destroyed the abode of the traditional ruler.

Our correspondent gathered that chieftaincy crisis was the real cause of the violence which started during the carnival.

While the state governor was said to have presented a staff of Office to Oba Okunlola-Oni, some residents who were dissatisfied with his emergence reportedly appointed another man as the Oba.

Oba Okunlola-Oni, his supporters, some drummers and praise singers who were celebrating Igbaye Day were said to have danced round the community and came across those who organised carnival procession.

The two sides clashed and Hamzat was reportedly shot dead. The monarch was said to have escaped being lynched with the assistance of security agents. But those who suffered casualties were said to have regrouped and razed down the palace.

However, the monarch has lamented that the police had yet to make any arrest in connection with the burning down of his palace after 24 hours.

He said, “The hoodlums destroyed everything in the palace. They burnt 10 motorcycles, they set the palace ablaze including two cars.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Yemisi Opalola, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report to comment on wether arrest have been made or not.