APC chieftain, four others killed in Ondo cult war

Five persons are feared to have been killed in Owo, headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, following a violent clash between suspected cult groups in the ancient town.

The clash erupted on Sunday night, and a former youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the community, Fisayo Oladipupo, was among the victims.

Oladipupo, 56, was killed around 2:00 am on Monday, while the four other victims were shot within the Eyinogbe, Ekusi, and Uselu axes of the community.

Also caught up in the cult clash were a mother and her child, who were hit by stray bullets at Mobil Junction in the community.

According to sources, the violence was a long-standing feud motivated by unresolved disputes dating back over 10 years, which has claimed several lives.

One of the sources, who requested anonymity, disclosed that there was a high probability that Oladipupo knew his killers due to the approach with which he was attacked by his assailants.

He said, “It was the death of Oladipupo that heightened tension in Owo. We heard in the morning that he was killed around 2:00 am. As the community was still in shock over his killing, we had heard that other people had been attacked and killed in other parts of Owo.

“A woman and her child were killed in Mobile. They were killed after stray bullets hit them while they were trying to scamper for safety.”

Meanwhile, the incident has caused tension in the community, with residents calling for increased security measures to address the growing insecurity in the area.

While confirming the incident, the police public relations officer in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, stated that investigations have begun to uncover those responsible for the attack, as well as the motive.

She said, “We can’t confirm if an APC chieftain is affected, but four people have been confirmed dead. Normalcy has returned through the intervention of the police; efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators of the act.”