8 Chiefs Arrested For Killing And Burning Osun Oba

 

NO fewer than eight traditional chiefs, including four kingmakers of Ilase-Ijesha in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, whose monarch, Oba Adesina Alobijuwon, was burnt to death in his palace last Wednesday evening were yesterday quizzed by the police. The traditional chiefs were invited by the police in Ibokun Division for interrogation before they were later summoned to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Osogbo for further investigation. The 80-year-old monarch, who had been blind for more than eight years, was on Wednesday about 8.00 pm, killed after some strange guests visited him and set his palace ablaze. However, it was not certain whether or not the quizzed traditional chiefs were released by the police after interrogation. Meanwhile, the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Dorothy Gimba, yesterday separately visited the ancient town for on the spot assessment. While commiserating with the people of the town, the governor implored all residents of the state to be vigilant and security conscious. Also, two traditional rulers in the state, the Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olawale, and Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, condemned the tragic murder of the Onilase of Ilase-Ijesha, saying it signalled grave danger and insecurity in the country. Speaking with The Nation on Saturday in Ikirun, the two first class monarchs called on the government to beef up security around the traditional rulers and their palaces. Maintaining that thorough investigation must be conducted on the matter, they said the culprits must be fished out and punished to deter future occurrence. “To curtail spread of violence to other palaces, those behind this gruesome murder of the monarch must be brought to book. If they are allowed to go scot-free, it may encourage others like them to commit worse murder than they had done in Ilase-Ijesa,” the Akirun said.