[size=18pt]Mayhem in Ogun community: Cop, 10 others killed • State govt imposes curfew
[/size]

Ado-Odo, an Awori town in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State boiled over on Sunday following a sectarian infraction allegedly fuelled by the chieftaincy tussle in the town.

So far, no fewer than 11 persons, including a policeman, were said to have lost their lives with dead bodies littering the once peaceful town.

An eye witness account told Daily Sun that the town erupted again in violence after a curfew imposed on the town by the State Government was relaxed some weeks ago. There had been unprecedented crises in the town since the enthronement of the Olofin of Ado-Odo, Oba Abdul Lateef Akani Adeniran, who, in May 2009, emerged the new traditional ruler of the town.

Daily Sun learnt that the Eguns were being decimated by the Awori, the majority of the inhabitants based on the obaship tussle. An unidentified Mopol corporal was said to have been killed last Sunday.

His lifeless body, a source confirmed, lay at the Police Divisional Headquarters in the town.

Only last week, the Egun people petitioned the State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, complaining about the serial but consistent killings of their kinsmen by the Awori, in an attempt to occupy their land.

Secretary to the Olofin-in-Council, Moroof Ajibade, who spoke during a telephone interview said: "I can't access the internet where I am. I will react after the violence."

Informed source said trouble began during the Eid-el-Fitri sermon by a popular Islamic scholar, Quatalahi Abdul, when he advised the monarch to quit the stool of his ancestors, as he chronicled the many negative things occasioned by the reign of the Olofin.

According to accounts, the preacher recalled that "more harm than good had and continued to happen to the town since the ascension of Oba Adeniran in May 2009."

But this did not go down well with another Muslim sect, said to be sympathetic to Oba Adeniran, Samsideen Al-Islamia, which took exception to the preaching of the former sect, leading to a free-for-all and later deaths.

Although the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the crisis in the town, he, however, said he was yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer as to the number of casualties recorded.

His words: "I don't have enough facts on the crisis there (Ado-Odo) now, so I can't confirm whether such number of deaths were recorded. In the time being, we have deployed policemen to the place and as I speak, we are about deploying more."

Already, the State Government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on the area.

http://odili.net/news/source/2010/sep/14/514.html