THREE persons were killed in violence in Ondo and Kaduna states on Saturday and yesterday respectively.

While suspected cult members struck in Ondo town, Ondo State, killing two persons on Saturday evening, unknown gunmen hit a village in Kaduna and killed a woman, injuring two others.

Although details of the Ondo incident were still sketchy as at the timfrom two different sources that the two victims, Lekan Eso and Jimi Akinrolabu, who were said to be strong members of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Ondo West Local Government, had gone to attend the grand finale of a musical programme organised by the Nigerian Breweries (NB), tagged “Star Mega Jam”, held at an open air on Brigadier Ademulegun Road in the town, when they met their death.
According to one version of the story, the duo were said to be coming out of the venue of the event, without having any inkling that death was lurking around the corner, when they were allegedly shot by the assailants who were said to have laid ambush for them.

Sources said the late Eso was the first person to be shot while the other man, while the late Akinrolabu who was said to be making effort to rescue him was also killed in the process.

Another version of the story, however, said that the late Eso and his friends were at the venue of the programme, when a lady was sent to fetch him, ostensibly by his assailants, and it was while he was standing outside the venue with the lady that he was shot.
Meanwhile, the news of the death of the duo have continued to elicit reactions in the town.

When our correspondent visited the State Specialist Hospital in the town, several persons, including notable leaders of the PDP, who wore long faces, gathered in groups in large numbers, discussing the development.

When our correspondent visited the Yaba Divisional Police Station in the town, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of the station, Mr. Mike Okoh, a Chief Superintendent of Police ( CSP) on the incident, he was said to be having a meeting in his office with the Area Commander, Ondo South Command, Mr. Amusa Ameyi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), PDP Chairman in the council, Prince Adewale Adeseeke and the Chief Medical Director of the Specialist Hospital, Dr. Ayodele Adiji.

Although effort made to see him after waiting for several minutes proved abortive, a reliable police source at the station, who craved anonymity, said the DPO may not be able to speak with journalists on the matter, as he was busy making frantic effort to send signal on the incident to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Magaji, in Akure, the state capital.

As at the time of filing this report, security had been beefed up in strategic locations in the town to forestall a possible reprisal attack by some group of people who were said to be planning to avenge the death of the two persons.

In Kaduna, a woman was killed, while two others sustained gunshot wounds following an attack on Kukum Dutse, a village in Kagoro, Kaura Local Government Area of the state.

“The village was attacked in the midnight; one person was killed, while two sustained gun shot wounds.

“As we speak, the two have been taken to hospital in Jos for operations to remove the bullets lodged in their bodies,’’ Mrs. Florence Aya, the council Chairman, said in a telephone interview.

She described the attacks as “very strange and wicked’’, pointing out that the villagers had always been “very peaceful’’.
The Kafanchan Area Commander of the police, Mr. Elihu Adamu, who confirmed the attack, said that the command was yet to make arrests, but had had begun investigations into the incident.

“We have visited the scene of the attack along with the Chairman of the local government, Mrs. Florence Aya. One person was killed and two others escaped with gunshot wounds.

“Those with the gun wounds have been taken to Bingham Hospital in Jos, but we are on top of the situation,’’ he said.

The Sole Administrator, Kagoro Local Council Development Area, Mr. Yahaya Dadai, who accompanied the victims to the Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, said that they were in “stable condition’’.

“We have just been sent to the X-Ray department preparatory to the removal of the bullets. By God’s grace, everything will be okay,’’ he added.
e of filing this report, it was reliably gathered