Four persons were feared killed and another seriously injured when an ancient majestic “Odan” tree fell to a heavy windstorm in the Saabo area of Oyo town on Monday.

The ancient tree provided shelter for butchers, minibuses and commercial motorcycle operators with its far-spreading branches at a popular foodstuff market in Oyo town.

The chairman of Sabo Market, Oyo town, Akeebu Alarape, said that the tree was about 100 years old.

Mr Alarape said four different sawyers invited to cut the tree did not succeed until a fifth sawyer was able to cut parts of it for the rescue operation to begin.

A resident trader in the area, Kareemot Ejide, 65, said she had known the tree since her childhood days.

According to Akeem Ojo, Head Operations of the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun, in Atiba Local Council Development Area, the tree fell at about 6:00 p.m.

“A female student of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, a woman with a baby strapped to her back and a boy she was holding were pulled out from under the tree.

“One person was seriously injured and was taken to a private hospital in the area, while the motorcycle and minibus parks under the tree were damaged,” Mr Ojo said.

He added that Amotekun’s presence at the scene was to prevent rioting and looting of goods in the market.

Chairman of Sooro Local Council Development Area, Oke-Isiwin, Oyo, Seun Oguntona, confirmed that those affected were people who took shelter under the tree during a heavy downpour.

He added that those trading under the tree would be relocated.

He urged people in the area to always stay indoors and not to take shelter under trees when it rains.

He debunked the rumour that the tree was fetish, adding that the person that planted the tree died 30 years ago.

Mr Oguntona said that though the man was a Sango faithful, he planted the tree to provide shade for people.

Efforts to get the police spokesperson in the state to react were not successful as he did not pick his phone calls.