Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti

The Ilejemeje Local Government Secretariat in Ẹda-Oniyọ, Ekiti State, was on Tuesday thrown into pandemonium, as hoodlums suspected to be thugs invaded the council and destroyed several property.

The hoodlums who were said to be from Obbo-Ayegunle, a neighbouring community in Kwara State, reportedly fired several gunshots while they destroyed the secretariat building and other property of the council.

The ugly development resulted into chaos as officials of the local government scampered to safety.

Though the cause of the attack was sketchy as at the time of filing the report, it was reliably gathered that the two communities have been at  loggerheads for sometime over land dispute.

During the attack which lasted for several hours, one person was said to have sustained severe injury and was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital in Iye-Ekiti, for urgent medical attention.

The hoodlums who were heavily armed with dangerous weapons like guns, cutlasses and charms, invaded the secretariat at about 10:am, vandalised the council secretariat and fired several gunshots to scare residents away.

Speaking on the attack, the Eleda of Eda Oniyo community, Oba Awodipo Awolola, explained that the hoodlums had in few days attacked some residents of the community, with charm in their farm lands, the development which the monarch said had  resulted in panic and tension in the community.

The traditional ruler who lamented over the absence of police post in the area, said there is need for security outfits to mobilise more officers to the community to prevent further breaking of law and order.

Similarly, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government, Mr Alaba Dada, said the suspected hoodlums are from Obbo-Ayegunle community in Kwara State.

Dada attributed the attacks on the lingering land dispute between the two communities, saying security agents had been mobilised to the town to prevent reprisal attack.

He said there is need for Ekiti and Kwara State governments to meet and settle the land dispute in the interest of peace and harmonious relationship.