Ondo High Chief Shot Dead During Colleague’s Burial, Police Arrest Suspect
High Chief Akinwalere Akinola has died after a firearm was discharged during the burial rites of another traditional ruler in Ayeka, Ondo State. Police have arrested one suspect and say an investigation is underway to establish how the shooting occurred.
A funeral ceremony in Ayeka community, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, ended in tragedy after a traditional leader, High Chief Akinwalere Akinola, was fatally shot.
The incident occurred on Tuesday while traditional rulers and other members of the community were participating in burial rites for another traditional leader.
According to accounts from the community, a firearm was discharged during the ceremony and Akinola was struck.
His death caused confusion among those gathered for the funeral.
Circumstances of shooting remain unclear
It has not yet been established why the firearm was discharged or whether the shooting was accidental or deliberate.
Some reports have described the incident as an apparent accidental discharge, but police have not publicly reached that conclusion.
For that reason, the circumstances surrounding Akinola’s death remain subject to investigation.
Authorities have also not publicly identified the person alleged to have discharged the firearm.
Police confirm arrest
Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abayomi Jimoh confirmed that one person had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Jimoh said investigators had begun examining the circumstances surrounding the death.
Police had not disclosed the identity of the suspect at the time of reporting.
An arrest does not establish criminal responsibility, and investigators will still need to determine how the firearm was discharged and whether any criminal offence was committed.
Community awaits answers
The incident has left residents seeking clarity over how a burial ceremony resulted in the death of another community leader.
Among the questions investigators are expected to examine are who was handling the firearm, why it was being discharged during the ceremony and whether established safety procedures were followed.
Police have indicated that a thorough investigation is underway.
Until its findings are released, claims that Akinola was deliberately targeted or that the incident was purely accidental should be treated as unconfirmed.