Alhaji Idowu Arinadegbo was working on some plots of land he had bought in Ikeshin village in Ota area of Ogun state with some workers when hoodlums ambushed them and began to shoot sporadically at them, killing him in the process.
Arinodegbo was said to have been hit on the chest, while the others escaped with bullet wounds.
According to a resident of a neighbouring village, Onigbin, the people in Ikeshin ran to them for safety as the gunshots increased.
“On Saturday afternoon, there were sounds of gun shots and we all started panicking. We started seeing people scampering for safety. They came to take cover in our area.
“While in Church the following day, people went to search for Arinodegbo. They came back around 12pm with his corpse,” the source said.
He said the incident has caused panic in the area, as many of the people who live there have vacated their homes for fear of being killed.
In his reaction, a chief and member of the Gbolaya family, a major land owner in the area, Mr. Nojeem Obileye said the incident was the climax of a series of attack perpetrated by a traditional ruler in the area, Oba Fatai Matanmi.
“This all started in September 20, 2011. The oba and a surveyor started harassing everybody with thugs,” he said.
“The thugs are now powerful and they are now entering into other people’s plot of land to cause trouble.
“That fateful Saturday, some people came to lay the foundation for their house. But unknown to them, the thugs had hidden in the bush. It was from there they started shooting the people. Some of the victims could not even see where the bullets were coming from.
“Unfortunately, Idowu Arinodegbo whom I was told bought about four acres of land was there to clear his land with some of his workers. The bullet hit him in the chest and he died. Some of the people there also sustained bullet injuries.”
Oba Matanmi however denied the allegations.
“I don’t know anything about it, and I don’t have any thugs,” he swore. “If there is any thug, they are not from me. For anything pertaining to land, I use courts.
“The people who are trying to implicate me are those who don’t like my face and they are members of my family. The last time I was around that area in question was 30 years ago.”
Confirming the incident, Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police went with the family to recover the corpse.
“From what the police heard, the deceased went to his land on June 22. There was a report to the police that he was missing. The next day, his corpse was seen somewhere and later taken to the mortuary.”
Adejobi who said investigations were on added that one Babalola Tajudeen had been arrested.
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