A dusk-to-dawn curfew was on Monday imposed on Sagamu by the Ogun State Government following a violent demonstration by irate youths which led to the death of no fewer than five persons and the destruction of properties worth millions of naira, including the palace and private residence of the Akarigbo of Remo land, Oba Michael Sonarinwo.
The youths who also vandalised the palace of the Ewusi of Makun, were said to be protesting the killing of their colleague, Kehinde Ogunjimi, who was at the weekend declared missing but whose mutilated body was discovered on Monday morning.
Though, it could not be ascertained the actual cause of the riot, which reportedly began on Sunday and snowballed into Monday morning. Reliable sources attributed the cause to the alleged killing of a youth, identified as Kehinde Ogunjimi, by vigilance group.
DAILY TIMES gathered that a youth from Makun, a section of the township, was killed on Sunday night, an incident which did not go down well with the Makun youths who stormed the Ofin area and the palace to unleash terror .
It was gathered that the youths, numbering about 500, barricaded major roads into the town, while Ofin indigenes were harassed, molested and injured.
The incident which led to the burning of the Oba’s Palace and private residence in the outskirt of the town according to our sources was caused by the non-positive response from the monarch, while another version of the story had it that the youths were angered because of the absence of the Oba.
Also burnt were about 10 vehicles while the State Broadcasting Station Commercial Office beside the palace was vandalised.
A source at the General Hospital, Sagamu told DAILY TIMES on phone that at least two bodies had been deposited at the mortuary with heavy presence of Mobile Police unit in strategic locations.
Condoling the family of the dead youths, the state government, in a statement signed by its secretary, Deacon Poju Adeyemi expressed shock and disappointment at the attitude of the youth who went on rampage and virtually sacked the whole Sagamu town.
It condemned the total destruction of palace of the Akarigbo and the vandali-sation of that of the Ewusi of Makun saying that the action of burning down not just the palace but also the personal house of the traditional ruler was an abomination in Yoruba tradition.