Woman Suspected To Be Mother Of Popular Thug In Osun Killed As Armed Gangs Clash

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SaharaReporters reports that an elderly woman suspected to be the mother of a popular thug in Ede, a community in Osun State, Rasheed Oko-Ilu, was killed during a renewed clash at the Asunmo area of the town by armed gangs on Monday evening.

The woman, who was in front of her house when violence broke out in the town on Monday, was shot at close range by a rival armed gang to her son's group.

The incident has left the entire Ede community looking deserted, especially with most shops locked on Tuesday and a lot of residents staying indoors to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Recall that a former student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, popularly known as Oloore, and four others were killed during a violent clash by the armed gangs in the community last week.

Oloore, who visited the polytechnic to do his clearance from the school, was hit by a stray bullet from the gun of one of the clashing hoodlums as he stepped out of his apartment to purchase an item.

The four other victims were killed around the Bode, Sagba and Asunmo areas of Ede as the violence went on.

The clash was between a gang controlled by Oko-Ilu and a team of Oodua Peoples Congress in Ede.

The traditional ruler of the town, Oba Munirudeen Lawal, who initially fled to Osogbo, the state capital, last week for fear of his life, has been unable to handle the crisis.

The spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident when contacted by SaharaReporters.

She, however, said the woman killed was not the mother of Oko-Ilu.

"The victim is not Oko-Ilu's mother, she was a grandmother who was caught in the violence by rival cult groups," she said.