Masked Men Strangle Septuagenarian During Prayer

Masked armed men yesterday murdered a 75-year-old high chief, Chief Moses Elutilo, the Akannare of Ile-Ido Ife, Osun State. The men stormed the venue of a meeting which Elutilo was presiding over at Atagilere Plank Hall on Ondo Road, Ile-Ife, and strangled him. Sources said while the deceased asked those at the meeting to close their eyes for the opening prayer, the hoodlums swooped on him.

“When the deceased got to the venue of the meeting about 10a.m., he was asked to lead the opening prayer. “As soon as he stood up to pray, the masked men attacked him with dangerous weapons and smashed his head,” a source said.

The development caused furore at the venue of the meeting as those present started to run helter-skelter. At press time, the reason for Elutilo’s murder could not be ascertained. But a middle-aged man, who preferred anonymity, said the deceased was the star witness in a land dispute before Justice A. A. Onibokun of the state High Court, Ile-Ife.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Folasade Odoro, said the police would get to the root of the matter. She said: “Autopsy would be carried out on the body to determine the circumstances surrounding the murder.”