By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
It was pandemonium galore on Saturday as residents of Gbekuba, Araromi, Akilapa, Oladele and Agbofieti communities in Apata area of Ibadan protested against the attack on chairman of the landlords association of the area by suspected ritualists.
New Nigerian gathered that the residents in their hundreds took to the street as early as 7.00a.m to also kick against the incessant dumping of rituals at strategic junctions within the community by the group of suspected ritualists in the area.
It was learnt that trouble started for the Chairman of the Ifelodun Estate Landlords/Landladies’ Association, Engr. Samuel Kolawole Olayinka when he was reportedly attacked by suspected ritualists for preventing them from place fetish objects in the community.
Engineer Olayinka, who is also the chairman of the Association of Water Well Drilling, Rig Owners and Practitioners(AWDROP), Oyo State chapter, was said to have incured the anger of the ritualists said to be about 12, after reportedly mandating the night guards in the community to prevent the ritualists from placing down the sacrifice in any part of the community.
Sources said Engineer Olayinka while returning home on Friday with his wife in his official vehicle, on sighting the ritualists in white clothes and fetish objects in their hand, beamed the headlight of his vehicle at them and shouted after which he alerted the leader of night guards on duty to come and assist driving the suspected ritualists away from the scene.
Amidst the drama, the suspected ritualists over powered and seized the chairman and the night guard and dragged them into their expansive compound located close to the junction where he was reportedly beaten to coma by the suspected ritualists with his official vehicle vandalised.
During the protest, the residents were demanding that the suspected leader of the ritualists and his members should vacate the community immediately
However, the arrival of a team of policemen from the Apata police station to the protest scene prevented the protest from getting out of control.
