A disagreement among three participants in a masquerade procession in Ilare community, Osun State, has led to the death of one of the trio, identified simply as Bukunmi, following an altercation over proceeds from the event.
Eyewitnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity said the incident occurred on Friday evening after the participants concluded activities during the Egungun festival and gathered to share money realised from the procession.
According to the witnesses, the trio, Bukunmi, Femi and Pelumi, had generated a total of N8,000 during the celebrations, which later became the source of a dispute among them.
One of the eyewitnesses said, “At around 7:30 p.m., boys in Ilare town were celebrating the Egungun festival and collected money from people during the celebrations. At the end of the procession, the three people in their group were to share a sum of N8,000 that they made.”
The source added that an argument broke out between Bukunmi and Pelumi, who were said to be members of the same family, before Femi intervened in an attempt to restore calm.
“Femi tried to prevail on the two of them not to fight, but suddenly Bukunmi attacked him and hit him in the mouth,” the eyewitness said.
The situation reportedly escalated when Femi, angered by the attack, allegedly stabbed Bukunmi with a knife during the confrontation.
Another witness said residents at the scene rushed the injured victim to a nearby hospital for treatment, while tensions rose as some individuals attempted to attack the suspect.
Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, were said to have intervened promptly, rescuing the suspect and handing him over to police at the Esa-Oke Division.
“Those at the scene were on the verge of attacking Femi, but NSCDC operatives responded early enough and took him into custody,” the witness added.
It was later gathered that Bukunmi died from the injuries sustained during the incident, while the knife used in the attack was recovered by the police.
The spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident, stating that the suspect was in custody and that an investigation had commenced.
“We are aware of the incident. The suspect is with the police. The corpse has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy, and investigation is ongoing,” he said.
