Six persons lost their lives in a clash between members of the Oodua People’s Congress and some persons suspected to be members of a cult in Owo, headquarters of the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The clash was said to have taken place on Tuesday and it was gathered that the victims were members of the warring groups.
The fracas was said to have occurred at Idasen and Ijebu areas of the town.
An eyewitness said the incident paralysed social and business activities in the town as residents hurriedly closed their business centres and ran helter-skelter while the violence was going on.
The actual cause of the fight had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filling this report, but the eyewitness said the cultists attacked the OPC members to avenge the alleged killing of one of them.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, confirmed the incident, but said only two persons were killed and that the command had swung into action to calm the situation.
“Our men and other security agents have been deployed in the town to restore normalcy. So, we are fully on the ground,” he stated.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the OPC, Mr Victor Egbeyemi, confirmed the clash in a telephone conversation with our correspondent and said it would be resolved soon.
“We have been talking to our boys and the matter will be resolved,” Egbeyemi stated.
The Chairman, Owo Local Government Council, Mr Olabade Adegbegi, said normalcy had returned to the town and warned troublemakers to steer clear of the area, adding that the government would deal ruthlessly with those causing crisis in area.