Deji of Akure Brokers Peace Between OPC , Vigilante Group in Oke-Aro
There is an end in sight in the crisis between a faction of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and members of a vigilante group in the Oke-Aro area of Akure as Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, brokered peace between both parties.
The monarch, who urged them to sheath their sword, warned them not to jeopardise the peace of the town
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deji of Akure, Mr Mike Adeyeye, the Kabiyesi warned the two groups to desist from such conflicts.
“I believe it was a dispute between two different factions. One group is loyal to Frederick Faseun, while the other seems to be aligned with Gani Adams.
Kabiyesi’s position is that, as long as they claim to be defending the Yoruba race, there should be no reason for such fights.
“He added that, regardless of their differences, it should not escalate to the point of damaging property. Although they will have to pay fines, that will be addressed at a later date.
“Kabiyesi has instructed them to return to their duty of ensuring the area remains safe, as they have always done.
“We reminded them that this is an election period, a time when peace must be maintained in Ondo State.
“We do not want anything that could jeopardise that peace. If such incidents continue, they could evolve into political clashes, and people might not see it as merely a conflict between two groups.
“Both factions were urged to steer clear of conflict, and we are confident that such an incident will not occur again. From our end, we can assure you of that.
We settle disputes; we do not pass judgments. When you give a judgment, there is always a loser and a winner. But in dispute resolution, both parties leave satisfied, and that is what we have achieved here.”
It would be recalled that members of the OPC factions in Oke-Aro, in Akure South Local Government Area, were involved in a fracas, exchanging gunfire.
prime news gathered that the crisis erupted when the Quarter Chief of Oke-Aro acknowledged one of the factions that provides security for the area and accused members of the other faction of being responsible for thefts in the community.
Last Wednesday, the Chief summoned the leaders of the two factions, Seun Asamo and Kola Asoka. He accused the leader of one of the factions of orchestrating the thefts, which infuriated the accused leader.
Sources revealed that in response, the leader of the other group mobilised his members, and they vandalised the palace of the Aro of Oke-Aro.
It was reported that pellets were removed from some of the fighters, as many wore local bulletproof vests that prevented the shots from penetrating their bodies.
Meanwhile, Oba Aladetoyinbo has since brokered peace between the warring groups and promised to repair the vandalised Aro palace.
Credit: The Hope Newspaper
