No fewer than five people have reportedly been killed in a clash between rival cult groups in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area in Ondo State.
It was gathered that the incident began over the weekend, but members of one of the cult groups struck in the early hours of Monday, killing a member of the rival group.
A source within the town who confirmed the clash said the reason behind it could not be ascertained but noted that the incident stemmed from unresolved differences lingering for over a decade.
He stated that the number of casualties rose to five, up from one, less than ten hours after the first fatality.
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He explained that there was a reprisal attack following the killing of a 56-year-old man, Fisayo Oladipupo, who was reportedly shot dead by unknown assailants around 2 a.m.
According to the source, Oladipupo was the former youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the community. He added that four other victims were shot within the Eyinogbe, Ekusi, and Uselu areas of the community.
The source also mentioned that there was a high probability that Oladipupo knew his killers, due to the way he was attacked by his assailants.
He said that two other people, a mother and her child, were hit by stray bullets at Mobil Junction during a face-off between the two rival groups.
He added, “It was the death of Oladipupo that heightened tension in Owo. We heard in the morning that he was killed around 2:00 a.m. As the community was still in shock over his killing, we learned that other people had been attacked and killed in other parts of Owo.
“A woman and her child were killed at the Mobil Petrol Station area. They were hit by stray bullets while scampering for safety.”
Meanwhile, the incident has caused tension in the ancient town, with residents calling for increased security measures to address the growing insecurity in the area.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami, said investigations have begun to uncover those responsible for the attack as well as the motive.
She said, “We can’t confirm if an APC chieftain was affected, but four people have been confirmed dead.
“Normalcy has returned through the intervention of the police; efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.”
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