Pandemonium broke out on Monday at the palace of the Oluwo of Iwo kingdom in Osun State when armed policemen clashed with residents of the town for attempting to lynch a suspected kidnapper.
In the melee, which ensued in the morning, one of the angry mob was said to have been shot dead by a policeman, while several others sustained severe injuries.
Our correspondent gathered that some residents of the town, mostly youths, had apprehended a female lunatic for allegedly kidnapping a girl who had been declared missing in the town few weeks back.
The angry mob was said to have attempted to lynch the woman, who was said to be incoherent in her speech.
But the quick intervention of the traditional ruler in the town, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Akanbi, saved the suspect from being lynched.
Oba Akanbi was said to have sent some of his palace guards to rescue the suspect.
The angry mob was, however, said to have engaged the monarch’s courtiers, who made frantic efforts to rescue the suspect, in a free-for-all.
The monarch was said to have put a call to the police, whose operatives later stormed the scene to disperse the mob and rescue the suspected kidnapper.
The angry residents was said to have also engaged the team of policemen in a brawl, insisting that the suspect should be released to them.
The residents also vented their anger on the monarch as they besieged his palace and made a bonfire at its entrance and castigated Oba Akanbi for handing the suspect over to the Police.
While protesting, the residents claimed that there had been cases of missing children in the town and argued that jungle justice was the best punishment for anyone suspected of kidnapping.
They prevented the police team led by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Femi Oyeleye, from taking the suspected female kidnapper away.
According to an eyewitness, while trying to disperse the protesters, the police shot sporadically from inside the palace and stray bullets hit one of the residents and injured others.
The unidentified victims were said to have been taken to a hospital, where one of them reportedly died.
When the news of the alleged death of the resident got to the town, residents were said to have re-grouped and attacked policemen at the monarch’s palace.
Efforts to get the Oluwo, Oba Akanbi, to speak on the matter was not successful.
When contacted on the telephone, the state Acting Police Public Relations Officer, Ajibade Egbedele, confirmed the incident.
Egbedele said situation had been brought under control but denied that anyone was shot dead by the police during the clash.
According to him, “We (police) have brought the situation under control and investigation has commenced. I am with the CP now and I can tell you that no one died.
“The problem started when some people in the town wanted to lynch a woman, who I take to be a lunatic, because she was incoherent in her speech. She was accused of being responsible for the missing child in the town. We have taken custody of the suspect.”
