Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State was on Monday thrown into turmoil following the invasion of the council secretariat by hoodlums on Monday who attacked and stripped the Council Chairman, Tope Omolayo, after resuming duty following the expiration of his six months suspension.

With the official activities disrupted during the invasion, workers ran in various directions as the hoodlums, who were armed stormed the secretariat in large number.

The chairman was suspended about six months ago by the legislative council of the local government following political and administrative disagreements.

While narrating the incident, the chairman had barely settled in when the attackers arrived descended on him, beating him and tearing his clothes in the process.

“The moment he arrived, they attacked him. He was beaten and his clothes were torn. People ran in different directions as the situation worsened.
It felt like a war zone. Everyone ran for cover,” the source said.

Another eyewitness alleged that gunshots were fired into the air during the incident, further heightening fear within the council area.

Some council staff who spoke with newsmen, linked the incident to ongoing political tensions and influence struggles within the local government area.

There were also claims from certain witnesses that the attackers made references to authority from the Olowo of Owo during the confrontation, although this could not be independently verified.

However, an official from the palace, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied any involvement of the traditional institution in the incident, urging that the palace should not be associated with the attack and no formal statement had been issued by the palace at the time of filing this report.

Omolayo, was declared persona non grata in Owo in November, 2025 by the Olowo-in-Council over his alleged public insult and disrespect toward the paramount ruler of the town, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye

Some of the Chairman’s supporters queried the legality of the suspension process, alleging irregularities in official communication and documentation.

The stakeholders in the community however, called on the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and security agencies to urgently intervene and restore order in the area.

Speaking on the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the command swiftly reacted to the matter by deploying personnel to the secretariat to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

According to Abayomi, “The attention of the Command was drawn to this report. Upon receipt, the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, promptly ordered the immediate deployment of security personnel and operational assets to the scene.