The Olojudo of Ido-Ayegunle in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Timileyin Ajayi, has announced that four suspects linked to the killing of villagers in the community have been arrested.
The monarch described the arrests as a major breakthrough and an important step towards justice for the victims.
“I want the world to know that we have arrested the people behind the killing,” Ajayi said in a statement issued on Monday.
He revealed that an Osun State Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo has ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Ilesha Correctional Centre for 30 days over alleged murder.
According to the monarch, the police requested the remand order, informing the court that investigations were still ongoing.
He said the order was granted by Magistrate Adekanmi Adeyeba, pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Ajayi recalled that the killings occurred on June 15, 2025, alleging that the suspects, alongside others still at large, carried out a violent attack that claimed multiple lives in the community.
The victims were identified as Engineer Agboola Sunday, Kingsley Nwagbana, Rasak Adegoke and Olayinka Sodiq.
The monarch alleged that the attackers used guns, cutlasses and knives, adding that some victims were mutilated, while others were reportedly burned alive.
He described the community as one “bleeding” from the tragic loss of innocent residents, including fathers and young people.
“Innocent life has been taken in Ido-Ayegunle—fathers, youths and people who deserve protection, not death. The killings have brought fear, grief and unanswered questions into my land,” he said.
Ajayi stressed that the community was not seeking revenge, but justice, which he said must involve a thorough investigation, accountability, and improved security for residents.
“We are not asking for revenge. We are asking for justice. Justice means a proper investigation. Justice means accountability for those responsible. Justice means assurance that our community can sleep without fear,” he stated.
He called on security agencies, government officials and leaders within and outside Nigeria to ensure lasting peace, insisting that rural communities deserve the same level of protection as urban areas.
“The lives of rural communities matter. The lives of Ido-Ayegunle people matter. Let justice speak for the dead, protect the living and restore peace to our land,” he added.
The monarch also accused neighbouring Esa-Oke of repeated aggression against the community, insisting that the people of Ido-Ayegunle had a legitimate right to remain on their ancestral land.
“I don’t want the Esa-Oke people to continue killing us. We have every right to live on our ancestral land. We have proof that this land belongs to us,” he said.
Oba Ajayi assured residents that normalcy would return, pledging to continue pushing for justice until the case is fully resolved.
“I want to assure my people that, by God’s grace, peace will be restored. Life will return to normal. We are still calling for justice, and we will not stop until justice is served,” he said.
He also appealed to the media and the international community to pay attention to the matter, noting that the victims were ordinary people who were simply trying to earn a living.
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“All these people were innocent. Some were indigenes of Ayegunle, others came to work. They were all killed in cold blood,” he said.
Ajayi further explained that the victims included a plumber, a tiler, an investor and a bricklayer. He noted that one of them was a 65-year-old investor who had visited the community to set up a poultry farm.
“Another was a bricklayer working for me on a community project. Because I am a new king, I started some projects for my people, and they killed the worker on that project. Most of those murdered were workers who came simply to work,” he added.
The monarch disclosed that the case has been adjourned to February 22, 2026, while awaiting legal advice from the DPP.
