Barely a day to the grand finale of the Osun Osogbo annual festival, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, on Wednesday raised the alarm over planned kidnap of the Arugba Osun (votary maid).
Oba Olanipekun has, however, called on security agencies in the state to move against this and prevent the alleged planned abduction of the virgin-maid, who would carry the Osun sacrifice to the groove, during the grand finale of the week-long festival on Friday.
Following this development, anxiety has gripped some worshipers and devotees of the Osun godess as the news filtered in.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Femi Oyeleye, has said the command has beefed up security ahead of the Festival to prevent the plan to kidnap the Arugba Osun.
The police boss disclosed this at a press conference he addressed in Osogbo, few minutes after the monarch raised the alarm.
The CP said the police got some intelligence reports on the alleged plan, confirming that the Ataoja of Osogbo had reported the plan to kidnap the votary maid to him.
According to the CP, “We have received intelligence report that some people are planning to kidnap the Arugba Osun.
” The monarch of the town also said this. So we have increased surveillance around the Arugba to prevent this. We have reinforced security around the Arugba and even the ‘igba’ so that the festival can go on without any hitch.
“We are also assuring worshippers and all visitors of adequate security. The crime rate in Osun State is one of the lowest in the country and we will do everything to sustain this.”
Oyeleye also warned some unscrupulous policemen in the state to desist from extortion and other misconduct, saying he would no longer allow anyone of them caught to go unpunished.
The CP stated that the he had renewed his drive towards sanitizing the command in line with the directives of the new Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to reform the police.
The CP said 29 policemen were undergoing trials at the Provost Office for offences ranging from extortion to dereliction of duty and others.
He added that the report of the trial would be made public in about a month’s time, when the trial would have been concluded.
