10 macheted, scores sustained gunshot injuries as PDP, APC clash in Osun Story by Adeolu Adeyemo – Osogbo.

There was a bloodbath in Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yorubas, on Monday evening when members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged themselves in a fiercely battle where dangerous weapons, like guns, cutlasses, charms, axes, and other injurious anti-human instruments were freely used by the violent party members.

Fewer than 10 persons reportedly macheted and axed during the fracas, while scores sustained gunshot injuries in a pandemonium that lasted about two hours.

It was gathered that the duo groups engaged in a gun duel.

The two political parties, however, denied being the architect of the trouble that threw the entire ancient town into a state of confusion.

The incident, which happened at, the Ita-Akogun area of the town around 6.00 P.M of the day, left residents, shop owners, traders, motorists, and other road users to keep off the scene and hurriedly escape to different locations to avoid being dealt with by the party warring members who went berserk and took the law into their hands.

As PDP accused the APC of invading their gathering to disturb their campaign rally for the town's presidential and Senate election scheduled for February this year, the APC accused the PDP of starting the scuffle.

Meanwhile, the injured ones from both sides were said to have been taken to different hospitals for medical attention, while the intervention of the police was said to have laid the unrest to rest.

Speaking on the development, the Vice Chairman, PDP More ward, Ile-ife, Segun Adefioye, accused the APC of disturbing their peaceful gathering with weapons and wounded their members before the PDP members retaliated and l d to pandemonium.

In his own comment, the PDP Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Akindele, blamed the APC for the attack saying their trademark is violence and pandemonium, and called on the appropriate authorities to call them to order not to disintegrate the peace in the society.

Also, A Chieftain of the APC and the party spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, maintained that the PDP attacked the APC members and injured them.

He, however, called on the state police command to get to the root of the matter through thorough investigations and bring the perpetrators to book.

In its reaction, the state police command said there was trouble in Ife, but normalcy had been restored in the town.

The police spokesperson, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, while speaking with our reporter, charged members of the public to conduct themselves lawfully and allow harmony in the society.