TWO traditional rulers in Ekiti State have been killed by kidnappers who abducted them along Oke-ako road in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
One monarch luckily escaped from the scene of the killing.
This newspaper gathered that while the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin, and the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olushola, were ambushed and killed by the gunmen on Monday, the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba, escaped from the scene.
According to a source, the monarchs were returning from a security meeting at Irele-Ekiti when they were attacked by the kidnappers.
When contacted, spokesman of the Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, said, “I will get the details and get back please.”
Speaking on the killing, chairman of the Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Micheal Ogungbemi, said the gunmen attempted to kidnap the three traditional rulers.
Lamenting the killing of the traditional rulers, Ogungbemi said he had mobilised local security outfits, including the Amotekun corps, to comb the forest in a bid to arrest the perpetrators.
“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 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 begged the federal government to approve usage of arms by the local security outfits in the state, said the attacks have been on 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.
Also speaking, 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 had come for the government to localize security system in order to address the growing insecurity in the land.
“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,” he said.