Masquerader shoots Islamic cleric dead in Ogun

The masquerader’s house

Tension gripped the residents of Ijaye in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital on Monday following the alleged killing of a Muslim cleric, Lateef Amusa, by a masquerader on Sunday.

Also, the police command in the state said it arrested four suspects, including a masquerader, for the killing.

Thirty-year-old Amusa was allegedly shot dead by a masquerader popularly known as, Leyin Aponle, during the celebrations of the annual Egungun Festival in Ijaye.

The victim, who was said to be riding on a motorcycle, allegedly defied the earlier warning from the masquerade to disembark from the motorbike shortly before the incident occurred.

The alleged defiance of the masquerader’s order by the deceased resulted in the former shooting at the Islamic cleric who immediately fell and died on the spot.

The killing infuriated members of his sect who on Monday morning invaded Ijaye, armed with kegs of petrol and other dangerous weapons and attacked the family house of the masquerader which they set ablaze.

The sect members were said to have also removed the masquerader’s costume which they dragged to the street entrance before setting it ablaze. They also destroyed the masquerader’s other paraphernalia.

The charred remains of the burnt costume and paraphernalia littered the surroundings when our correspondent visited the area.

Our correspondent observed a detachment of heavily armed regular and anti-riot policemen drawn from the different divisions in the state keeping vigil at Ijaye.

The Balogun of Ijaye, Chief Ganiu Babayeju-Alemo, told our correspondent that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, had placed a ban on the continuation of the 17-day annual Egungun Festival.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrests of four suspects, said  the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, had ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

Adejobi, an Assistant Superindentent of Police said, “The CP has also ordered that all masquerade outings and festivals in the state be put on hold till further notice.”

The police spokesman added that that the masquerader and the other suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations into the matter were concluded.