Ajaawa, headquarters of Ogo-Oluwa local government of Oyo state was woken by repeated staccato of gunshots early this morning, at about 1:15am.
A resident told ogbomosoinsightonline.com, “We were woken at about 1:15am by booms of gunshots; the whole community was ruptured by the repeated sound of the shots. It is a nightmare! When we rushed out, it was Babanifa, who was under attack again, in fact, Babanifa was already on the ground writhing in pain and in the pool of his own blood. Babanifa was severely stabbed, this was after bullets failed to penetrate his body.”
According to the resident, who did not give his name, the invaders came in four vehicles, fully loaded with the attackers.
He added, “They came in four vehicles, each with fully armed men, who looked like those who earlier came to attack the same Baba but who were claimed to be policemen from Abuja.”
It would be recalled that Babanifa, an Ifa priest, Chief Faleye Adeoye, was earlier this month came under attack by people claimed to be policemen from Abuja who allegedly came to effect his arrest with the arrest being resisted by the youths of the town on account of the modus operandi of the “policemen” who were said to have come like “kidnappers,” more so, when series of kidnaps have previously occurred in the community.
The attempt on Babanifa’s life led to riots in the town in which one young man was shot dead allegedly by security men attached to a contestant to the throne of Ajaawa and subsequent burning of the houses belonging to the said Alaajawa contestant.
Aftermath was the summoning of Alajaawa, Oba Thompson Adeyeye oyetunji, Faleye Adeoye (Babanifa), the said Alajaawa contestant (prince Ade Master) and others by the Oyo State Commissioner for Police. Thereafter, peace was believed to have returned though the DPO of Ajaawa Divisional Police headquarters alleged to be complicit in the spate of criminal activities in the town was changed.
The community had enjoyed about three weeks respite but this midnight attack had ruptured the peace once again.
Another resident who also spoke under conditions of anonymity told ogbomosoinsightonline.com that the youths were spoiling for war again during the midnight attack today and had already blocked the roads but the new DPO was said to have appealed to them that the men were policemen from Abuja and that they had gotten clearance from his office.
But the respondent averred, “We don’t believe in the claim they were policemen, though some of them were in police uniforms but isn’t this Nigeria where criminals put on security agencies’ uniforms to commit crimes.
“More so, how would policemen come to effect arrest in the midnight? They have not said this man committed any crimes, did he resist arrest? You just came and started shooting and why would policemen stab someone they wanted to arrest with daggers, machetes, and used iron rods on him? It is more than meet the eyes!” The man said.
Meanwhile, the said Babanifa is currently at a hospital receiving treatment though his condition is said to be critical as his breathing was said to have become irregular as at the time he was being taken to hospital.
This is just as he was learned that the “policemen” went with two men, one Patanla and Owo Adua. Patanla was said to be a younger brother of Ade Master.
