The Ondo State Police Command has revealed that some members of the vigilante group were killed in the communal crisis which erupted in the Kajola and Koseru communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The communal crisis reportedly broke out on Saturday in the communities as some hoodlums from Ilaje Local Government allegedly invaded the communities killing and destroying properties.
According to a source, some residents of the affected communities and some policemen as well as other security agents were feared killed in the communal clash.
However, the state police command in a statement issued on Sunday denied the killing of policemen and other security agents in the clash.
In the statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officers of the state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Oyediran Oyeyemi, has ordered the arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act while normalcy had been restored in the warring areas.
The statement read, “Normalcy has returned to Kuseru Village, a community where there was a communal clash. On December 9, 2022, a case of attempted murder was reported at Kajola Division, that a woman Julianah Alaba Abejoye ‘ was shot by two masked men on her farm at Ogbontiba via Kuseru with a locally-made double-barrelled gun and escaped. She sustained injuries on the arm and thigh and was rushed to the Hospital for treatment.
“On December 10, 2022, at about 10 am, in what seemed to be reprisal attacks, Aiyetoro boys in their numbers attacked Kuseru Village, set ablaze the motorcycle parks, killed livestock, destroyed motorcycles and cut down plantain trees.
“Police Contingents were quickly dispatched to the scene, while on Patrol of the villages, corpses of vigilantes were met at the palace of baale of Kuseru Village who were said to have been allegedly ambushed and killed.
“The Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyediran, visited the scene, urged all parties involved to sheath their sword and allow police to carry out a thorough investigation on what really happened.
“He further ordered that the area commander and DPO of the area should ensure all culprits involved in the arson and murder be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
Tactical teams of the command have been deployed to aid the activities of policemen in the area. The CP is also using this medium to allay the fears of the residents around Kuseru, Aiyetoro and Ago Alafia and Ondo State at large that nothing untoward will happen to them as adequate security is emplaced to ensure a hitch-free celebration during this period.”
