The traditional ruler of Okeodo Elemoro Iwerekun Land in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, Oba Tajudeen Afolabi Adebanjo Elemoro, has appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over the destruction of his multi-million naira palace by hoodlums, who hid under the #EndSARS protests to burn his palace.
The monarch also called on the Lagos police command to deplore necessary security to the area to stall another attacks by the hoodlums.
Speaking through his son, Prince Ajibola, the embattled monarch, who is too perplexed to talk, said more than seven vehicles parked in the palace were also burnt while millions of cash, vital palace documents, furniture and electronic gadgets were looted during the attack on Wednesday.
According to Ajibola, “around 10:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. on Wednesday, we started hearing exchange of gunshots between police officers in Elemoro Police Station situated close to the palace and hoodlums, who allegedly hid under the #EndSARS protests to attack the station.
“The intention of the hoodlums, who came with sophisticated weapons was to burn the station but the officers resisted them for several minutes. In the process, the officers repelled the arsonists and succeeded in killing two among them.
“The hoodlums retreated and went to reinforce. When they returned to face the officers, their number and firepower overwhelmed the officers in the station who ran for cover. But while trying to escape, one of the police officers ran towards the palace compound while still exchanging fire with the hoodlums. Seeing this, the arsonists headed for the palace to attack the officer. When they couldn’t locate him, they resorted to raze the palace down completely and looted it. Over seven vehicles were destroyed while they carted away with furniture and electronics they found in the building.”
Ajibola added that the hoodlums also attacked other property within the palace compound and nearby houses before moving away. While some of them looted and razed the palace, other hoodlums gained access to Elemoro Police Station and set it on fire.
“It took divine intervention and the ingenuity of youths in the area to wade off the hoodlums, whose target was to locate were the traditional ruler is to perpetrate whatever intention they had. Our youths came out and started chanting #EndSARS to dissuade the hoodlums,” he said.
The Guardian further learnt that three life cows were stolen from the palace by the hoodlums and information has it that one of the cows was slaughtered at Bogije and another at Otunla.
The octogenarian monarch, who as at yesterday was ill, requested for more security forces in the area just as he appealed to officers at Elemoro Police Station to move to their permanent site. He also pleaded with Sanwo-Olu to rebuild his palace.
(The Guardian)
