Ajaawa, the headquarters of Ogo-Oluwa local government was thrown into turmoil again today as about 40 police operatives were said to have stormed the sleepy town to effect the arrest of some leaders of the community including Alajaawa of Ajaawa, Oba Thompson Adeyeye Oyetunji and the executive chairman of the council, Mr. Seun Ojo.
The two and some others were however said to have escaped arrest but the secretary to the Oba and the council boss’ gatekeeper were not so lucky, as they were both picked up and whisked away.
It was learnt authoritatively that the policemen, who were said to have come from the office of the Inspector General of Police were led by the embattled Prince Ade Master, whose residence, hotel and other properties including a shrine were razed by angry youths earlier over allegation that security operatives attached to him shot dead a protesting youth in the community.
An eyewitness told ogbomosoinsightonline.com that the men when they got to the Oba’s palace in Ajaawa, and did not find him went away with his secretary, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
Similarly, the chairman was not found at home in his Ogbomoso residence and so, his gatekeeper was whisked away.
“The policemen would have arrested the Alajaawa and the council chairman if they had been found. But those ones made their escape.
“Many people fled the town during the police raid today especially youths many of whom were targeted as culprits for the arson on Ade Master’s properties and as obstructing the police during the earlier attempt to arrest Babanifa, whose offence we don’t know till now.”
It was also gathered that one of the men earlier taken away during the attack on the Chief Ifa priest (Araba Awo) of the town, Chief Adeoye Ifaleye, a.k.a. Babanifa, Patanla, was brought back with the operatives, “But they took him to his house and his residence was vandalized by the men and his belongings were also damaged, reminiscence of Ade Master’s,” the eyewitness added.
“The whole community is now deserted, people have fled into the bush, some have run to Ogbomoso, some to Oyo and other neighbouring communities, I don’t think anyone will sleep in the town tonight,” it was disclosed.
When ogbomosoinsightonline.com visited the town it was like a ghost community, the streets were deserted, only domestic animals and birds were seen roaming the streets.
It is recalled that the chairman, Seun Ojo, Oba Oyetunji and some other leaders of the community addressed a press conference about two weeks ago in Ibadan over the escalating security crisis in Ajaawa, in which Prince Ade Master, a failed contestant to the throne of Ajaawa during the contest last year, was alleged as the mastermind of the travail besetting the community, which had also witnessed series of kidnapping and murder.
This was after the Araba Awo, Chief Ifaleye (Babanifa), was attacked on two different occasions by men later claimed to be policemen with the first attempt being foiled by youths and the second leading to the “abduction” of the man and some members of his family.
As at now, “nobody knows their whereabouts, whether Babanifa, who received fatal wounds during the second attack is alive or dead is not known,” another resident said.
Meanwhile, the police divisional headquarters in the town is still deserted by policemen since the attack on Babanifa over a week ago, the DPO and all his men have abandoned the place for reasons suggested to be their duplicity in the whole saga.
The DPO was said to have claimed that the invading men were policemen but their manner of operation, which involved stabbing of targets of arrest, preventing treatment of wounded suspects and so on, all looked suspicious to the people and so, the police could have been afraid of how the people of the town would react more so, when Babanifa was feared dead.
“If not for the intervention of the DPO, the youths would have prevented the abduction of Babanifa by the ‘men,’ so, his disappearance and possibly now death would not have occurred and this is probably what caused the police command to be on lockdown since, perhaps they are feeling guilty of having betrayed the community, hence their taking leave of the town.”
Said to be close to some top police brass, Ade Master had fled the town since early June shortly before his properties were burnt down. His return today however threw the community into pandemonium as the policemen inspected his burnt properties, took photographs and made the said arrests.
Meanwhile, the situation of Ajaawa is still unclear, what could be fueling the crisis? Because as at now, the Ajaawa people claimed they don’t know the offence of Babanifa that warranted his being a target of attacks by operatives said to be from the IGP office, not once but twice.
“This is/was a peaceful man, he never hurt a fly, what could have been his offence that the IGP hunted him down in that manner? It is still hazy! The invasion of his residence started before the arson committed by the youths against Ade Master’s houses,” a resident submitted.
