Gunmen suspected to be cult members have killed a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Fisayo Oladipo, in the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state.

Mr Oladipo, 52, was shot dead around 2:00 a.m. on Monday in a violent cult-related clash, an incident that has set a section of the Owo town on fire.

Sources who confirmed the incident in a chat revealed that the suspects, believed to be members of the Eieye confraternity group, had trailed the deceased to his home around Ehin-Ogbe in Owo before he was shot.

“He [Oladipo] was trailed to his house in Ehin Ogbe after returning from a nightclub around 2:00 a.m. by the cult guys and was shot immediately in the chest,” one of the sources told Peoples The Gazette.

Mr Oladipo, fondly known as “Fissy,” was a former youth leader of the APC in Owo before his assailants killed him.

His remains have been taken to the morgue at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owo.

Another source disclosed that two other young chaps, whose identities have not been unravelled, were also shot dead by gunmen believed to be the same cult gang.

The source sent footage of a video to The Gazette, where the yet-to-be-identified men were seen lying lifeless on the road.

He disclosed that sporadic gunshots had rented the air following the violent killings of the two men, with sympathisers mourning their deaths.  

Police spokesperson in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, could not immediately confirm the incident when contacted by telephone. However, she promised to respond later.

However, Oluyemi Ibiloye, the commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed the incident and told The Gazette that the tense atmosphere in the town has been calm following the heavy deployment of armed security agencies.

Mr Ibiloye, who could confirm the exact figures of the casualties, also liked the incident to cult clashes among rival groups, promising that the heads of security agencies would soon react.

“I can only confirm that we have sent our men down to also assist other security agencies deployed to calm the atmosphere. Our men are on the ground with heavy deployment. I will advise we wait for officials’ reactions,” he told The Gazette. 

Meanwhile, the Ondo APC spokesperson, Alex Kalejaye, did not immediately respond to calls and text messages sent to him by The Gazette.