Osun State, Nigeria — A clash between police and suspected hoodlums who have earlier attacked Odemuyiwa village in Ife, has left a person dead with another one critically injured.

Policemen, said to be responding to distress call, were said to have engaged the hoodlums in exchange of gunfire on Friday, while fleeing the scene of the crime.

Security men were said to have also seized three motorcycles from the hoodlums, who sometimes in February, allegedly attacked the palace of Baale of Odemuyiwa.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer of Osun Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.

She said the state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, had given a directive that other fleeing hoodlums involved in the attack should be apprehended.

According to her, some of the items recovered from the hoodlums include; one locally made single-barrel gun, machete, charms and three motorcycles.

Opalola said, “at about 6:00am on Friday, a group of armed arsonists attacking Odemuyiwa Village engaged in a shootout with police personnel that were responding to a distress call by the traditional ruler of Odemuyiwa Village.”

“Consequently, two of the attackers were wounded. One died on the way to hospital and had been deposited at OAU Teaching Hospital Morgue.”

“The second, a 44-year-old, Timothy Elugbindin from Ile Ife is receiving treatment at police hospital, Osogbo. The suspects had been under security watch for randomly terrorising the village. They set ablaze the palace of Baale of Odemuyiwa over chieftaincy dispute in the past.”

PUNCH