The Nigeria Police Force, Osun Command said two of its officers were shot on Wednesday by suspected hoodlums protesting over the appointment of new Akirun of Ikirun by the state government.
Crisis, it was gathered, erupted on Wednesday over alleged plans to smuggle the new Akirun, Oba Olalekan Akadiri into the palace.
The late king was reportedly a descendant of the Gboleru Ruling House, one of the ruling houses fighting to fill the royal stool before it was passed on to the Obaara Ruling House via an Osun High Court ruling.
The Ikirun obaship tussle rocking the town was renewed after the Osun State Government appointed Prince Yinusa Olalekan Akadiri as the Akirun and also after the new king allegedly led other persons to the town to gain access to the palace.
Akadiri’s appointment as the Akirun by the Osun State Government did not have the support of the majority of the town’s people including chiefs and the head of kingmakers.
He was also denied access to the palace since the second day of his announcement as the new king which made the state government present the staff of office to him at the State Government Secretariat.
The police, in a statement by its Spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, on Wednesday in Osogbo, said that police did not fire shot at any civilian, but rather it was the suspected hoodlums that shot two police officers.
Opalola said aside the police officers that were shot, the hoodlums also attacked two fire fighters.
“The Commissioner of Police, Faleye Olaleye, is miffed about the Kingship crises that erupted in Ikirun Town today despite series of peace meetings held with the relevant stakeholders/parties over the kingship tussle, since the announcement of the installation of the new Akinrun by the state government.
“It would be recalled that (Tuesday), the Commissioner of Police held another round of peace meeting with the contending parties on the need to allow peace to reign in Ikirun and the state in general.
“All the parties consented to maintain peace; but the Commissioner of Police is surprised to learn about the attack on security personnel, fire brigade personnel and the burning of the Akirun of Ikirun Palace by armed hoodlums.
“The hoodlums shot two police officers and injured two fire service personnel,” Opalola said.
She explained that what happened was that, while some policemen were at Akinrun’s palace to protect those renovating it, some armed hoodlums shot at the policemen deployed to the palace.
Opalola said the gun shots injured one Insp. Obajobi Adedokun and Insp. Raji Abiodun, adding that the officers were rushed to hospital for treatment.
She added that the hoodlums also set the Akinrun’s Palace ablaze and attacked the truck of the fire fighters going to put out the fire, thereby injuring two fire brigade personnel.
“The commissioner, therefore, charged parents and guardians to warn their wards to stop this uncivilised act of violence and toe the path of peace.
“He sternly warned that, anyone found culpable in this unwarranted violence/attack will face the full wrath of the law,” Opalola said.
