The Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu, said on Tuesday that the police command had declared 15 persons wanted in connection to the violence and killings at Ire Ekiti in the Oye Council area of the state over the stoppage of Ogun Onire Festival celebration.
Abutu, who said one of the arrowheads of the violence had been arrested, said policemen would remain in the town until the return of normalcy to the restive community, assuring that all the perpetrators of the nefarious act would be brought to justice.
The violence, which erupted in the community on Sunday following the decision of the monarch, the Onire of Ire Ekiti, Oba Victor Bobade, to cancel the yearly festival in line with the state government’s directive to avert the spread of COVID-19, escalated on Monday leading to the death of two persons in addition to setting ablaze the monarch’s vehicles.
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The police spokesperson, who spoke to journalists in Ado Ekiti, said, “One person had been arrested and more than 15 persons have been declared wanted. They have run away, but our men are on their trail.
“We won’t allow people to take laws into their hands or resort to self-help over a small issue. We are going to apprehend whoever had hands in these killings and ensure that they face the full weight of the law.”
Abutu debunked insinuations in some quarters that the two persons killed during the crisis died of gunshot injuries, saying, “Just go and check the corpses of the two persons that were killed during the crisis. No sign of gunshots. In fact, they were clubbed to death.”
“The two rival factions were carrying planks and other dangerous weapons and those who died were hit with dangerous weapons, so they didn’t die through gunshots,” the PPRO added.
Credit- Punch
