The monarch, who according to sources, lost his sight eight years ago was allegedly attacked by some hoodlums at about 8.00pm inside his palace and eventually died when the palace was gutted by fire caused by the suspected arsonist.
Speaking on the incident, a traditional chief in the town, Chief Oluwagbemiga Oke, explained that the house in which the monarch was living, donated to the town by a prominent native, got razed shortly after some unknown people paid the king a visit.
According to him, the monarch had attended to five guests who came in a pink Mazda car before the incident happened, adding: “From what we were told, the house got burnt shortly after the people left.”
Also, an officer of the state fire service, Mr. Michael Ogundipe, ruled out the possibility of electrical fault , saying that findings by his men revealed that the case was arson.
Ogundipe who took officials of the state government, including the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr Amos Adekunle, round the palace said there was nothing that suggested electric surge from the findings made at the scene of the incident.
Children, maid unhurt
It was gathered that two of the monarch’s children and his house maid escaped unhurt while the fire raged, but the monarch could not help the situation due to old age and blindness.
Although the cause of the fire disaster could not be ascertained, it was speculated in the town that the men who visited the monarch last could be responsible for the dastardly act.
Another prominent indigene of the town, Chief Jumoke Ogunkeyede explained that it took the efforts of the Osun Ambulance Services and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for the corpse of the monarch to be removed from the burnt palace to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technolog, LAUTECH, Teaching Hospital, Osogbo where an autopsy would be conducted.
He said efforts to stop the fire by men of the state fire service at about 10.30p.m yielded no result as the firemen ran out of water during the operation.
House maid arrested
The Police have also commenced investigations into the matter and the house maid of the monarch whose name could not be ascertained was already in Police custody.
Commenting on the development, an Ijesha High Chief, the Omu-Owode Ijesha, Chief Adejumo Operinde said all necessary rituals would be done by the people of the town in accordance with the tradition.
Describing the death of the monarch as unfortunate, Chief Operinde said there was nothing to attribute to tie the death of the monarch to as the community was peaceful during his reign.
Be vigilant, state govt tells residents
Commissioner for Information, Mr Akere who spoke on behalf of the state government said the community will be provided all necessary assistance.
He enjoined the people to be vigilant and monitor strange movements in the town, stressing that the Police could not provide all the needed security for the people.
It was reliably gathered that the state Police Command has swung into action and a team of Police detectives led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has moved to the sleepy community to unravel the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/80-yr-old-osun-monarch-burnt-death-inside-palace/#sthash.QdSIi8dQ.tkc3Yj65.dpuf
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