ON Wednesday, July 6, 2016 when Muslims all over the world were celebrating Eid-el-Fitr, marking the conclusion of 30-day spiritual fasting, people of Jebba community instead, raised against another arms and ammunition, and other dangerous weapons, over age-long and lingering obaship crisis.
It was gathered that on the sallah day, when the Oba of Jebba, Alhaji Abdulkadir Adebara had observed the sallah prayer and returned to his palace where he was hosting a crowd of people that had accompanied him from the prayer ground, suddenly, an 18-seater bus with registration number XA 152 SHA and two motorcycles occupied by men armed with guns, spears, arrows and machetes emerged at the venue of the reception and caused mayhem.
It was also gathered that the traditional ruler was ferried out of the venue as commotion arose, while reports had it that three men died while 12 sustained varying degrees of gunshot and that the victims of the violence attack had been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for autopsy while the wounded were receiving treatment in hospitals in the town.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin, spokesperson of the Jebba community, Chief Jayeola Omotoso, who spoke on behalf of Asoju Oba of Jebba, Chief Yakubu Ayodele and Otun Oba of Jebba, Chief Emmanuel Tytler, called on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, the Inspector General of Police, and security agencies to provide adequate security for Oba of Jebba, members of his household and the entire people of Jebba henceforth.
While the community said it appreciated efforts of security agencies and military for their prompt intervention at restoring normalcy in the town, it also demanded that the police re-arrest the released 11 suspects out of 21 arrested so far, adding that, “there is tension in Jebba, and only justice can douse it.
“The Jebba community in its entirety demands absolute justice wherein all perpetrators of the dastardly act will be brought to book including their sponsors, no matter how highly placed
“We also demand adequate security for Oba of Jebba, Alhaji Abdulkadir Adebara, members of his household and the entire people of Jebba henceforth.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, the IGP and all relevant authorities to kindly and sympathetically intervene in this matter to halt the imperialistic mission of the feudal lords in Jebba”.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, who is also an indigene of the community, Honourable Matthew Okedare, denied sponsoring the hoodlums who allegedly attempted to assassinate the Oba of Jebba, Alhaji Alabi Adebara, during the last Eid -el- Fitr celebration.
Honourable Okedare, in a reaction to Jebba community’s allegation, said he was not in Jebba on the day of the incident.
He also clarified that his co- accused, the clerk of the House, Simon Okedare, was in Ilorin throughout the day of the incident.
The deputy speaker, therefore, called on law enforcement agencies to unravel those behind the problem and not hesitate to bring them to book.
“I, Hon. Matthew Okedare, Deputy Speaker, was not in Jebba township as of the time of the incident. I left Jebba at 10:45 am on the said date only to receive a distress call at about 1:00pm when I entered Ilorin.
The lawmaker also said that the clerk of the House, Mr Simon Okedare was in Ilorin throughout the day of the incident, adding that he had not visited Jebba since then.
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