Report by Toba Suleiman  

It was a case of double tragedy on Sunday evening in Ise-Ekiti area of Ekiti State when a young man simply identified as Austin was set ablaze by angry youths after he had allegedly shot to death his landlord's daughter.

The shooting incident was said to have caused tension in the community as the angry youths apprehended Austin and set him ablaze at a motor park.

Also, it was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ise Police station was hit on the head by the angry youths for attempting to rescue Austin just before he was lynched.

Austin said to be in his late 30s and a trader reportedly shot the girl in front of her father's house at Iro Oraye area of the town.

Before he was set ablaze, it was learnt that some sympathisers had taken him to the palace of the monarch of Ise Ekiti, Oba Adetunji Ajayi possibly to prevent him from being mobbed, before the irate  youths later  overpowered the palace guards and  took him to the town's main motor park where he was burnt.

The remains of the slain girl and that of her killer, which had already been burnt beyond recognition, have been deposited at a mortuary in the town by the police.

Meanwhile, all youths in the community have fled for fear of possible arrest by the police. Both incidents crippled the social and commercial activities in the community.

Efforts to get more information from Oba Ajayi yielded no fruitful result, as he was not ready to speak on the matter.

Also, attempts to extract a comment from the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Victor Babayemi, proved abortive, as he promised to call back, but failed to do so.

Source: This Day