[size=14pt]Ondo: Monarch escapes abduction
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Friday, January 7, 2011

Suspected kidnappers on Friday invaded the palace of the Olubo of Obenla kingdom, Oba Kolawole Ikuesan, in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State and attempted to kill him.





http://odili.net/news/source/2011/jan/7/605.html



The monarch, however, escaped death by whiskers as he managed to escape from the abductors that invaded his palace at about 1:00a.m.


It was gathered that at least seven armed men had invaded the palace and shot sporadically into the air to announce their arrival.


the entire palace, according to reports, was riddled with bullets before the people went straight into the living room of the monarch.


Immediately the kidnappers gained entry into the building, they were said to have headed straight to the living room of the traditional ruler who was in bed and ordered him out.


Saturday Tribune further gathered that the traditional ruler refused to heed the order and was attacked by the kidnappers with cutlass.


Ikuesan was later taken out of the building to a jetty in the area, but he managed to escape from them when some of the palace boys who trailed the kidnappers while trying to escape with the monarch accosted them.


the palace boys and the kidnappers were said to have exchanged gunshots which forced the latter to run away without the monarch.


Speaking with newsmen on the development, a newphew of the monarch, Adesina Erejuwa, said the monarch was lucky to escape from the kidnappers.


He said, "Oba Ikuesan was lucky to escape from the hands of the kidnappers. The abductors fired several gunshots at his residence before he was whisked away. They took him to the jetty where he managed to escape from them. He is badly injured because he was matcheted many times by these abductors".


He however appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the monarch and his entire household.


When contacted on phone, the state police commissioner, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, said the command had not been properly briefed on the matter.


He explained that once the command is fully briefed, proper investigation into the matter would begin in earnest.