Mob Violence at Owo Secretariat: Suspended Chairman Stripped Naked

OWO, ONDO STATE – The administrative heart of Owo was transformed into a theater of violence on Monday morning as a group of suspected thugs launched a brutal assault on the embattled Council Chairman, leaving him stripped naked and fleeing for his life.

​The incident, which witnesses described as a “descent into lawlessness,” occurred shortly after the Chairman arrived at the Owo Local Government Secretariat. The Chairman, who has been on a controversial six-month suspension, reportedly intended to resume his official duties, citing the lack of a formal communication extending his administrative leave.

​”Like a War Zone”

​The calm of the Monday morning workday was shattered when the mob stormed the premises. Eyewitnesses recounted a terrifying scene as the attackers singled out the Chairman, physically assaulting him before tearing off his clothes in full view of terrified civil servants.

​”Gunshots rent the air, and everyone took to their heels,” one witness told reporters, requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal. “It was like a war zone. Seeing a high-ranking official treated that way in public was chilling.”

​The assault sent workers scurrying for safety, with many abandoning their offices as the thugs took over the secretariat grounds.

​Allegations of Political Motive

​Reports from the scene have linked the attackers to local power blocs. Among those allegedly identified by sources were Kunle Odide—reportedly the younger brother of the Ondo State Commissioner for Finance—alongside several others known by local monikers including “Eko,” “Gentle,” “Goldberg,” and “Lastangle.”

​Furthermore, witnesses alleged that the attackers invoked the authority of traditional institutions during the fray, though no official statement has been released by the palace to corroborate or deny these claims.

​The underlying tension appears to stem from a protracted legal and political battle over the Chairman’s suspension. While the state government had previously sidelined him, supporters of the Chairman argue the suspension is a legal nullity, lacked proper documentation, and was politically orchestrated to prevent his return to the helm of the local government.

​Calls for Government Intervention

​The barbaric nature of the attack has drawn sharp condemnation from residents and community leaders, who expressed shock that such an event could occur within a government facility in broad daylight.

​”This is not just an attack on a man; it is an attack on the rule of law,” said a community leader in Owo. “If there is a dispute regarding his suspension, it should be settled in the courts, not through the use of hired muscle.”

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​As of Monday evening, tension remains high across the ancient town. Community leaders and civil society groups have called upon Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene to prevent further breakdown of order.

​The Ondo State Police Command has not yet issued an official statement regarding arrests, though security presence has reportedly been beefed up around the secretariat to prevent a reprisal.