CITIZENS COMPASS–No fewer than 20 people including youths are currently in Police net following the crisis that erupted in Ikenne town, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State in the early hours of Saturday, July 27, 2024.
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command who effected the arrest said they also impounded two vehicles.
The crisis erupted when some youths in the town insisted on celebrating the annual Oro festival, despite the government ban.
The crisis was said to have built up for some days with the youths organising protests and telling whoever cared that they would celebrate the annual festival with or without the approval of the Government.
The crisis was said to have taken a new dimension on Saturday morning as the youth came out and began burning tyres across the major roads in the town insisting that the Oro festival would be celebrated.
This was said to have led to face-off with Police operatives who had been monitoring the situation to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.
Some viral videos posted on social media captured flames of fire billowing from burnt tyres in some places in the town.
A background noise in the video said “Ikenne is on fire and this is because the youths are being prevented from celebrating the Oro festival”.
Confirming the arrest of the youths, the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the state command was on top of the situation and it has arrested 20 suspects and impounded two vehicles in connection with the pandemonium.
He said “We are very much aware of the situation, it is a fallout of the longstanding obaship crisis in the town and recently, the court dismissed the one currently on the throne but the judgment had been appealed.
“So based on the tense atmosphere, the local government which is the consenting authority for the festival said that it should not be celebrated so that it won’t lead to any breach of peace, we did the same thing last year but some youths who were being misguided decided they must have their way.
“We have arrested 20 of them, impounded two vehicles and everyone will soon be brought to the state command at Eleweran, Abeokuta to answer for their misdeeds”.
–Vanguard
