Fight breaks out during New Yam festival in Ondo community

An annual new yam festival at Ibule-Soro community in the Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State was disrupted by sporadic gunshots after trouble broke out.

Spokesperson of Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said the situation has been brought under control,

Odunlami-Omisanya said that the police were drafted to the community to maintain law and order.

It was gathered that the crisis was sparked off by the dispute between the supporters and opposers of the town’s king, Oba Oluleke Ogunlade, whose selection process is being questioned in court.

Ogunlade had fixed the new yam festival on August 25 to coincide with the first anniversary of his coronation.

This, however, did not go down well with some of the indigenes who believed there was a particular date for the celebration which cannot be changed.

Trouble began when indigenes opposed to the monarch decided to hold the festival on Friday which according to them was the actual date the tradition of the town stipulates.

Indigenes of the community had set out early in the morning for the celebration before a detachment of policemen and military personnel arrived and dispersed them.

According to a resident who pleaded anonymity, policemen stormed the community and started shooting sporadically and firing tear gas at everyone in sight.

He said they fired tear gas into various houses with aged people, broke into several houses and arrested people.

He added that several indigenes of the town have been arrested and taken to the police station at Igbara-Oke, the headquarters of the LGA.