Tragedy struck on Monday as the Alagodo of Agodo in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Ayinde Odetola and three other persons said to be his friends were allegedly shot by some Unknown Gunmen and burnt to death.
Locals told journalists that the killings followed a clash over the chieftaincy title of the Alagodo as there was an existing crisis over who occupies the seat between Ake and Owu people of Egbaland.
Sources said the late monarch was from the Ake section of Egba, but there had been misgivings that an Ake person cannot rule the town mostly dominated by Owu people.
Also, it was gathered that a brother to the late monarch was gruesomely murdered not long ago.
Oba Odetola was reportedly killed at about 11.00 am alongside his friends when they got to the town from an outing, a source said.
A source learnt that the whole town had been deserted following the incident.
One of the siblings of the late traditional ruler who identified herself as, Chief (Mrs) Adenike Akintade, confirmed the killing.
She said, “I had just been discharged from hospital early this morning, only to start mourning the brutal assassination of my brother by 11 am. Kabiesi called me on Saturday, urging me to reduce my activities, saying stress could contribute to my illness.
“Oba Odetola lost his younger brother to the imbroglio some months ago; the young man was butchered by the so-called hoodlums, today, Kabiesi is no more, what a world.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Monday night, saying that the hoodlums, after killing the traditional ruler, burnt him with his car.
Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole and the Special Security Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Olusola Subair had visited the town for an on the spot assessment of the situation.
He added that though no arrest has been made but that the CP had directed that the homicide unit of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Command should commence investigation on the matter.