Tense Day Since Morning in Ilesa: Irate Youth Burn Tyres to Barricade Roads, Disrupt Sabo Monday Market

Commuters were stranded in Ilesa, Osun State this Monday as angry protesters reacting to the last Thursday's punitive action of the city's electricity distribution company the IBEDB to send the city and its environs into total blackouts for assaulting some members of staff of the company.

Recall that we have earlier reported that some residents of Ilesa in Osun State, on Sunday, staged a protest on major streets of the town.

A statement by the IBEDC’s Regional Communications and Branding Officer, Kikelomo Owoeye, on Saturday, claimed that suspected hoodlums assaulted and robbed employees of the company in three different offices within the Ilesa business hub.

Following the attack, the IBEDC cut power supply to the six local government areas in Ijesaland.

The protesters burn tyres and use rocks and planks to barricade roads and blocked buses and commercial motorcyclists from carrying passengers.

As at 12:00pm when reporters moved round the city, Isokun, Ereja Roundabout, Itabalogun-Ijofi-Bolodunro areas were very tense as the protesting youth were in face-to-face encounter with the security agents. Gun shorts were heard and tear gas cannisters were freely used.

The incident led to traffic gridlock as people in the Irojo Sabo Market area, as well as  from Ijoyi Wesley Hospital, Osun State College of Education and Isokun-Osogbo road end of the city could not were stranded.

Commuters were forced to hold leave branches to identify with the protesting youth.

Some parents were seen rushing to schools to bring their children home.

Some youth were seen around the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland palace demanding that Oba Adekunle Aromolaran should demand the immediate release of those arrested over the weekend as they were innocent of the crime, accusing the police of colluding with the IBEDC to punish innocent people, because the perpetrators of the crime could not be found.

No fewer than four journalists were on Monday morning attacked by suspected hoodlums during a protest organized by some youths in Ilesa against the disconnection of electricity in Ijesa zone of Osun community by the management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) over assault on its staff.

The aggrieved youths had on Sunday staged a protest across the nooks and crannies of the ancient community.

At the resuming protest this morning, the aggrieved youths who had earlier stormed the major streets in the town barricaded the roads and prevented vehicular movement.

The protesters on the sight of the journalists who were at the scene covering their protest lose anger and descended on them.

The irate youths who were said to have armed with cogels, cutlass and some other dangerous weapons attacked the journalists with their cameras damaged beyond repair.

As at the time of posting this report, the situation is still tense.

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