We’re closing in on suspects who killed Ogun monarch and aides, burnt bodies — Police

The Ogun State Police Command has started investigation into the killing of the traditional ruler of Agodo, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, Oba Ayinde Odetola.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that detectives assigned to the case had already established clues, which they were following.

“We already have clues to people who killed the monarch. We are sure that we will get them in a matter of days,” the source said.

Oba Odetola and three of his aides were reportedly attacked and set ablaze in their car on Monday by suspected hoodlums.

The incident drew outrage of residents, who demanded the arrest and prosecution of the killers.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Tuesday, said villagers deserted the community after the incident, adding that no arrest had been made.

He said, “Once we make any arrest we will issue a release on it. The people in the village have fled the place and the police are working on the incident.”

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has vowed to visit the full wrath of the law on the suspected killers of the traditional ruler.

Abiodun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, directed security agencies to immediately fish out the killers.

The governor, who described the incident as unfortunate, noted that politics, land and chieftaincy matters should not attract descent to self-help and killings.

He said, “Security of lives and property tops our responsibilities as a government and we will not allow people to take laws into their hands.

“To those threatening the peace of our state, we will stop at nothing to fish them out, prosecute them and mete out the full wrath of the law to them.

“We have zero-tolerance for these ignoble conducts. Politics, land and chieftaincy disputes are no excuses for people to take the law into their hands. All hirelings, parents and guardians should call their wards to order.”

Also, the Alake-In-Council, on Tuesday, denied any rift between the Alake and the Olowu on the ownership of the land suspected to have led to the killing of Odetola and his three aides.

Our correspondent gathered that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, had installed the late Oba in the village, a move that was resisted by some villagers who were majorly of Owu extraction.

When contacted for reaction on the incident, a spokesperson for the Alake-In-Council, Chief Lai Labode, said there was no rift between the Alake and the Olowu on the ownership of Agodoland.

The spokesperson insisted that it was not right to bring in Alake into the case.

He appealed that people should wait for the outcome of police investigation. (The PUNCH: Excluding headline)