Traditional ruler strangled and burnt to death in Osun

An Osun monarch has been burnt to death after being caught up in an inferno which engulfed his palace on Wednesday.
Oba Adesina Alobijuwon, the Alase of Ilase-Ijesha in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State could not escape the blaze which was reportedly started by unidentified hoodlums at about 8pm.

The monarch was blind and widowed but was said to have lived with a maid and her two sons at the time of the incident. The maid and her sons escaped unharmed.

The Nation reports:



A chief, Oluwagbemiga Oke, said the palace was donated by a prominent indigene of the town.

He said the late monarch received five unidentified guests, who drove to the palace in a pink Mazda 323 saloon car, before the fire.

Oke said: “We were told the palace got burnt shortly after the unknown guests left.”

It was learnt that the “guests” removed their car’s number plate and burnt it when the vehicle broke down.

The maid has been arrested by the police.

An officer of the State Fire Service, Mr. Michael Ogundipe, said the incident was an arson case.

Taking officials of the state government, including Commissioner for Information and Strategy Sunday Akere, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Sikiru Ayedun and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters Amos Adekunle, round the palace, Ogundipe said nothing suggested that the fire was caused by power surge.

A businesswoman from the town, Chief Jumoke Ogunkeyede (a.k.a. JMK), said the monarch’s remains were evacuated by officials of the Osun Ambulance Services and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and deposited at the mortuary of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

A chief, Adejumo Operinde, said necessary rituals would be conducted in accordance with the town’s tradition.

Akere assured the community of the government’s assistance.

He urged residents to be vigilant and report strange movements to security operatives.

Other reports, however suggests that the monarch may have been strangulated and killed before the unknown visitors set the palace ablaze.

According to one of the town chiefs, Adejumo Operimade, the strange visitors came and pointed a gun to the head of the monarch’s housemaid. They allegedly went to late Anibijuwon’s room and strangled the octogenarian monarch.

According to him, “We were told that some gunmen who claimed to be OPC members came and wanted to see Kabiyesi but they were told that he was sleeping.

“They came back and held the housemaid living with Kabiyesi hostage and went to where Kabiyesi was sleeping. But immediately they came out, fire started and Kabiyesi was burnt inside the house. His corpse was taken to the mortuary at LAUTECH.”