By Gbenga Ojikutu
There was pandemonium leading to break down of law and order between some individuals suspected to be members of the Oodua Peoples Congress and motorcycle riders on Thursday in the Atikankan area in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
While some claimed that the clash was in reaction to the death of a motorcycle ticketing officer, others said the incident had its roots in criminal tendencies.
However, it took the timely intervention of men of the Rapid Response Squad of the Ekiti State Police Command to restore sanity to the area.
It was gathered that the opposing groups brandished weapons such as cutlasses and knives, among others, while the crisis lasted in the early hours of Thursday.
One of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told our correspondent, “The motorcycle riders are accusing the OPC of being responsible for the death of a motorcycle ticketing officer, whom they said was normally stationed at the OPC office in the area. That is what we learnt is the cause of the crisis.
“Some people have been injured in the process but I cannot say the number. It was when the police arrived at the scene that normalcy was restored. The police have made some arrests in connection with the incident.”
Another source who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, “One cannot say what is happening. It is their ploy to commit crimes as usual. That is what they do in an atmosphere of confusion like this.”
When reached for a reaction to the incident, the command’s spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, told our correspondent via a text message that the command was aware of the situation after it received a distress call from the area.
“Today, being 09/01/2025 at about 11:20 hours, the command received a distress call that some hoodlums were attacking and robbing innocent people in the Atikankan Area of Ado Ekiti.
“The operatives of the RRS were deployed to the axis where six of the suspects were arrested. They are currently undergoing investigation. Effort is underway to arrest other fleeing members of the gang,” Abutu’s message read.
