At least two persons have been confirmed dead in Osun State when some hoodlums engaged Nigerian soldiers in gun duel at the palace of Akire of Ikire, Oba Olatunde Falabi
It was gathered that the hoodlums invaded the palace to chase the traditional ruler and his chiefs out.
The drama led to a sporadic shooting in Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State.
InfomediaNG gathered that trouble started when some youth stormed the Akire palace, calling for the removal of Oba Olatunde Falabi (Lambeloye III).
How the Ikire youth were killed in Ikire
The youth possibly from the rival ruling house stormed the palace to drive him and his council of chiefs before men of the Nigerian Army were invited to the scene.
It was gathered that the efforts by men of the Nigerian Army to disperse the irate youth and bring normalcy to the town created more tension as they started shooting sporadically.
An eyewitness who doesn’t want to be named said the youth hurled stones at the soldiers, overpowered them and snatched their rifles.
The soldiers called for reinforcement when an effort to retrieve the riffles failed, leading to the killing of at least two persons.
Why Ikire Youth Chased Akire Out Of Palace
In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that it was not the turn of the Falabi’s ruling house to produce the Akire. Oba Olatunde Falabi (Lambeloye III) is from Falabi’s ruling house.
On June 30, 2020, Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire had ruled that Akire of Ikire, Oba Olatunde Falabi could no longer occupy the seat because he wasn’t entitled to the throne.
In 2014, Supreme Court ruled that Akintula was the rightful next ruling house, according to 1958 Ikire Chieftaincy declaration gazette, after the late monarch who joined his ancestors in 1987.
But Oba Falabi insisted that he would not vacate the throne. He approached High Court sitting in Ikire to challenge Osun state government from dethroning him, as Akire of ikireland, which ascended in 1993.
Oba Falabi in May 2014, challenged the state government over its plan to depose him following the judgment of Supreme Court.
The presiding Judge, Justice Razaq Abudulkareem ruled that 1958 Ikire Chieftaincy declaration still subsist as the chieftaincy declaration recognized Akintula as next succession to the throne of Akire, ruling that the selection of Oba Falabi was illegal.
The Ikire crisis came at a time there was an indefinite curfew in Osun as a result of the looting of government and private properties.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola had imposed a curfew on the state after hoodlums and angry residents in Ede and its environs invaded warehouse where COVID-19 palliatives were stored.