The bandits just came and started shooting. They were about 10 in number. Three of them were at the entrance while about seven came inside. I ran away; one of them chased me but he did not know how I escaped into a nearby bush. I was shot at but it did not affect me.”
According to her, the attackers dragged the monarch away while she cried for help and later struck him on the head and stomach. She added that they were speaking Hausa.
“They kept dragging my husband and I kept shouting, but nobody could come out to rescue him. They later hit something on his head and his stomach. He has been killed. They were speaking Hausa language,” she said.
The monarch’s daughter said her father kept telling the attackers that he was a king as they beat him and tried to abduct him before killing him outside the palace.
They just invaded the palace and kept shooting at the king but the bullets didn’t penetrate. They carried him, but he kept telling them that he was a king. They kept beating him, wanting to take him away,” she said.
She added that the attackers later brought out a sharp object and attacked him after carrying him several times while firing shots into the air.
“They kept shooting sporadically. Everybody ran for their lives. They carried him three times and baba kept telling them to drop him. Later, they brought out something like a knife and attacked him.
“The king was later killed outside the palace with blood gushing out of his head. He was with the Olori and a female guest when they came. They beat the guest and seized her mobile phone.”
The daughter also said the attackers wore clothing similar to that of Fulani herders, spoke Hausa, and entered through the Itaogbolu axis.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying it occurred on February 18, 2026, at about 7:10 p.m. Police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh said officers received a report around 7:50 p.m. that armed men had taken the monarch from his residence.
“The victim was later found a few metres away with gunshot wounds and was confirmed dead at the scene,” the police said.
The Divisional Police Officer and tactical teams, working with Amotekun, local hunters and vigilantes, have launched a search of nearby bushes for the suspects.
“Efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects. Monitoring and surveillance activities have been intensified to ensure the safety of residents,” the command added.
