by Rachel Ogbu

A monarch’s wife has accused one of the claimants to the title of Olugbosu in Ekiti State of leading ex-soldiers to the palace where they physically assaulted her before vandalising the palace.

Wife of the Apeju of Ilupeju Ekiti in Ekiti State, Tolu Oniyelu, on Saturday reportedly denied that her husband, the monarch, forced Israel Ojo on the town. She explained that the Traditional Council set up a committee which asked the next ruling house to produce a candidate to be installed as the new Olugbosu.

But the decision had not gone down well with the people who decided to protest violently.

“One of them held me and hit my nose with the butt of his gun and I started bleeding. They destroyed window panes and other things. Later the police came. Kabiyesi did not cause the crisis and he didn’t impose anybody on the town. The traditional council confirmed the candidate and he was installed,” she said.

Oniyelu said she had treated the injuries sustained in one attack and she was now okay.

According to reports, violence erupted in Ilupeju Ekiti on Friday over the chieftaincy title of Olugbosu which is said to be the third in rank to the Kabiyesi. Five persons were shot, while some houses were said to have been torched and the palace destroyed by hoodlums when ex-soldiers  came into the palace.

[READ: Traditional ruler beaten and stripped off his clothes appears before commission of inquiry in Ogun (PHOTOS) ]

The Punch reports:

Oniyelu said it was not true. She added that Ojo was confirmed as the rightful candidate by the panel and the traditional rites had been performed on him.

The monarch’s wife, however, said trouble started on Friday as a chief in the town installed another Olugbosu at 3am.

She added that the “illegal Olugbosu,” after his installation mobilised some ex-soldiers, armed them with guns and danced round the town with the ex-soldiers following him.

Oniyelu said the man later danced to the palace with his followers and met the monarch and chiefs holding a meeting.

The man asked the king to “bless him, which is a great insult. The monarch refused and the ex-soldiers, who followed him to the palace, started shooting into the air” and destroyed parts of the palace.

Although the other Olugbosu could not be reached for his comment, some residents, who were loyal to him insisted that he did not go about with thugs as claimed.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said although normalcy had been restored to the town, policemen were still there to ensure that there was no trouble again.