Ogun monarchs exchange blows at police station

Two traditional rulers in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State on Tuesday engaged each other in fisticuffs on the premises of the Divisional Police Headquarters in the area.

Eyewitnesses, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that the monarchs, the Olu of Itori, Oba Akorede Akamo, and the Baale of Lapeleke, Chief Adisa Akinremi, were at the headquarters on the invitation of the Divisional Police Officer to resolve a dispute when the incident occurred.

The Punch learnt that Akinremi had earlier lodged complaints with the police against Oba Akamo, whom he accused of disrupting a cultural ceremony organised by the people of Lapeleke on Monday night.

Akamo, who was invited to the police to state his own side of the story, had gone to the police station when the incident occurred.

An eyewitness claimed that it was during the exchange of words on the vexed issue that Oba Akamo allegedly slapped Akinremi who immediately retaliated.

The   Owu people, who are the indigenes of Lapeleke Village, a neighbouring village of Itori, were said to be celebrating the annual Owu cultural and heritage renaissance festival when Oba Akamo allegedly led a group of people to disrupt the ceremony.

They were said to have shot sporadically into the air, resulting in a stampede during  which several people were injured and property destroyed.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the matter had been transferred to the command headquarters for further investigation.

Adejobi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, added that the Criminal Investigation Department had taken over investigation into the incident.

“We just received the case at Eleweran now and is now transferred to the CID. We can confirm that we have a case of conflict between two traditional rulers from that area. The Assitant Commissioner (CID) is about to interview the two of them over the matter,” the police spokesman said.