How Suspected Herdsmen Kill Two Ekiti Monarchs

EKITI STATE – Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen, were on Monday, January 29, 2024 allegedly killed two traditional rulers in Ekiti State.

According to a report, the incident happened between Oke-Ako and Ipao-Ekiti, in Ajoni Local Government Area of the state.

The two traditional rulers – Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti, in Oye Local Government Area and Elesun of Esun Ekiti, in Ajoni, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State were attacked by the gunmen while retuning from a meeting.

According to Oodua News, it learnt that another monarch – Alara of Ara, in Ikole LG, narrowly escaped when the armed men attempted to forcefully kidnap them.

“They were travelling together when the armed herdsmen stopped them and rained bullets on them.

“They took the personal belongings of the monarchs and dragged their bodies into the bush”, Oodua News quoted a source as saying.

The chairman of the Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Micheal Ogungbemi however confirmed the incident to The Nationonline.

Ogungbemi, who condemned the attack, said the gunmen attempted to kidnap the three traditional rulers.

He lamented the killing of the revered traditional rulers, saying he had mobilised local security outfits including the Amotekun corps to comb the forest in a bid to arrest the perpetrators

Ogungbemi said: “I just returned from the scene of the unfortunate incident along Oke-Ako road and I can confirm that two traditional rulers; the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti and Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti were killed by the gunmen who ambushed them.

“The Alara of Ara-Ekiti managed to escape from the incident, he was the one driving when the incident happened.

“We have evacuated the remains of the monarchs and deposited them in the morgue at the Ikole General Hospital.

“Our local security outfit and Amotekun have been drafted to the scene and the bush to arrest the bandits who committed this dastardly act.”

Ogungbemi, who appealed to the Federal Government to approve usage of arms by the local security outfits in the State, said the attacks have been recurring in the area in the last few years.

“I am extremely sad with the situation and I want to call on the government to allow our local security network to carry arms because the traditional ruler who escaped told us the gunmen were carrying AK-47 and other dangerous weapons. These people are killing us and it is becoming unbearable”, Ogungbemi lamented.

The Secretary of Majority Obas of Ekiti Land (MOBEL) and Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde David Olushola who condemned the killing of the traditional rulers said the time has come for the government to localize security system in order to address the growing insecurity in the land.

His words, “The two traditional rulers were active members of our association (MOBEL) and it is very sad.

“We have been talking over the years, but government is paying lip service to the issue of security. The time has come for them to localize the issue of security and sit down with the traditional rulers to secure our communities, we know what to do.

“This is not issue about money, government should immediately sit down with the traditional rulers for us to secure our land and maintain peace.”