A traditional monarch, Oba A. Anibijuwon was alleged
burnt to ashes as fire razed the palace of Loja of Ilashe on Wednesday night in
Osun State.
It was alleged that some
hoodlums had invaded the palace while the Oba was in it.
The whereabouts of the
Kabiyesi was unknown as of 11.30pm when this report was being filed.
Some residents, who spoke with
our correspondent on telephone, claimed that the hoodlums strangulated the
monarch to death before setting the palace on fire.
They expressed the fear the
monarch who was having problem with his sight might have been killed in the
inferno.
One of the residents who
pleaded not to be named said, “We don’t know why those who burnt the palace did
so. But the palace was razed down and those people who did it strangulated the
Kabiyesi to death before setting the palace on fire. You know that our Kabiyesi
was blind.”
However, the Commissioner for
Information, Mr. Sunday Akere, who confirmed the inferno to our correspondent,
said he was not told that the monarch was killed.
He said that may be the
monarch was injured but that he did not die.
Akere said: “There was a fire
outbreak at the palace of Ilashe this evening and fire-fighters went and put it
out. We heard that three young men went to the palace and demanded to see the
monarch but they were prevented from seeing him.
“But curiously there was a
fire outbreak immediately they left the palace. Fire-fighters were
sent there and they put out the fire. The Kabiyesi was not killed but may be he
was injured during the fire outbreak.”
He said that the state
government in collaboration with security agencies was investigating the case
to know what caused the fire and get those behind it arrested if it was a case
of arson.
It will be recalled that the
palace of the monarch of Oba Oke was set ablaze by hoodlums about a month ago
during a communal clash between the people of the town and Oba Ile, a
neighbouring community.
Source: Daily
Times
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