By Francesca Hangeior
One of the traditional rulers in Ekiti State who escaped assassination by assailants, Alara of Ara in Ikole, Oba Sunday Fatoba, has disclosed how he escaped from an assassination attempt that killed two of his colleagues.
Speaking at the ongoing Yoruba Security Summit in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, he said nine hefty men with guns unleashed mayhem on him and two others, including the Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin and the Olumojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olusola.
While Elesun and Olumojo were killed in the attack, Oba Fatoba mysteriously escaped from the scene to bring back help from the nearest communities.
He said, “Our attackers did not attempt to kidnap us but to kill the three of us in the car. We went for a security meeting with the monarch of Koro-Ekiti who, was killed few day after the attack on us. We created a special security team among the communities to curtail the rising insecurity because of our proximity to the north.
“We discovered that these evil men infiltrate Ekiti state from Kwara and Kogi states, hence, the decision to form a security forum.
“While we were returning on that day, six hefty men emerged from the bush with guns and cutlasses and started shooting at us immediately. Their intentions was not to kidnap anyone but to kill us all. One of them started attacking me with cutlass but it did not have any effect.
“Then another one started shooting at me with a pump action and it has no effect. While they pick a large three truck to smash it on my head, I had to leave the scene through the help of my….., Well I just escaped to bring back help. But before I returned with vigilante group, they had killed my colleagues and escaped.
“The Elesun is not a weak monarch, I know him too sure, but those who attacked us had their plans well marshalled. He was attacked with AK-47 and cutlass several times and his body was shot at severally too”, he said.