Ikenne Oro Festival Turns Violent, Police Arrest 20 Youths, Impound 2 Vehicles

The Ogun State Police command said it has arrested no fewer than 20 youths and impounded two vehicles, following the crisis that erupted in Ikenne town, in Ikenne local government area of the State in the early hours of Saturday.

It was gathered that the crisis erupted when some youths in the town insisted on celebrating the annual Oro festival, despite the government ban.

It was further gathered that the crisis had been building for some days now with the youths holding protests and telling whoever cared that they would celebrate the annual festival with or without the approval of government.

The crisis was said to have however 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 is what we’ve been doing for so long in Ikenne. We don’t know why the government doesn’t want us to go ahead with this year’s own. It’s disheartening and the force used is so uncalled for” a resident of Ikenne who pleaded anonymous said while speaking with our correspondent.

Confirming the arrest of the youths,

the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the state command is 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” he said.