The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a masquerade identified as Asoleke over the alleged killing of a 24-year-old man, Sefiu Kehinde, during a masquerade procession in Ibadan.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the incident occurred on Sunday in the Labiran area of Ibadan.
According to the police, the victim was allegedly attacked by the masquerade and some of his followers, who reportedly assaulted him with axes and cutlasses, leaving him with severe injuries.
Ayanlade said the case was reported at the Mapo Divisional Police Headquarters by a woman identified as Mrs. Aderemi, who informed officers that she received a distress call from her elder sister about the attack.
He explained that police operatives, led by the Divisional Police Officer of Mapo Division, responded promptly to the scene and rushed the victim to the hospital for treatment. However, he was confirmed dead on arrival by the attending doctor.
The police spokesperson said the masquerade has been taken into custody, while four of his alleged accomplices are still on the run.
He added that the command has launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident and is intensifying efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects.
The incident comes despite an earlier warning by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, urging masquerades and their followers to refrain from violence during the ongoing masquerade festivities.
The traditional ruler had stressed that the festival should not be used to settle personal disputes, engage in supremacy battles, or carry out retaliatory attacks.