Oba Adeleke Adedoyin-Adegbite, Owa-Ale of Ikare-Akoko, said on Tuesday that he wholeheartedly supported the decision by the Ondo State Government to impose a 24-hour curfew on the town.
The Ondo State Government imposed the 24-hour curfew on account of security reports of impending crisis in the town.
Some residents were reportedly killed in the crisis as sporadic gunshots rented the air in the town in the last 12 hours before the imposition of the curfew on Tuesday.
Oba Adedoyin-Adegbite expressed appreciation of the role the police and the state government played by intervening quickly to stem the orgy of violence.
He admonished his people to comply strictly with the government’s order and stay in their homes in the interest of their safety.
“I have told my subjects to remain calm and to go by the directives of the state government and abide by every rule of the curfew,” the traditional ruler told the News Agency of Nigeria.
Recalling events that led to the mayhem, the traditional ruler explained that contrary to tradition, a section of the town insisted that a popular market must remain shut to celebrate the annual “Ikare Day”.
Adedoyin-Adegbite said: “Trouble started on Saturday when some indigenes said ‘Osele’ market, traditionally under the control of Owa-Ale, should be shut to observe Ikare Day.
“This has never happened in the history of Ikare-Akoko that the market should be shut while Ikare Day is celebrated.
“Why should it happen now?
“It was later discovered that some hoodlums were merely stoking trouble, but they were ignored as the market opened and people went about their businesses peacefully.
“Things took a different dimension, however, when on Monday as a section of the town ordered that those in the area where the Saturday market held should not venture into other markets in the town.
“As Monday wore on, one of those sympathetic to the order banning people from the area where the Saturday market held from going to other markets launched an attack.
“The police brought the situation under control very quickly, however.
“On Tuesday, those at the Saturday market were going about their normal businesses when one person from the other side drew a gun and attacked.
“We thank God that the police again intervened and brought the situation under control.
“Governor Rotimi Akeredolu consequently placed a curfew on the town so that peace and normalcy could be restored.
“We thank the governor for the move.”
There had been age-long tussle of supremacy between two halves of the ancient town.
Efforts to get official representatives of the other half to narrate their story were abortive, but a resident from the side also expressed support at the state government’s decision to impose the curfew.
NAN.
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