When will the monarch of Iba, Oba Yisha Goriola Oseni return to his palace? This is one question that continues to pop up as the 73 year-old monarch’s whereabouts remains unknown and igniting heightened apprehension at the palace and the entire Iba community.
Since the abduction, the palace of Oniba has become a Mecca of sorts as sympathizers flock in and out on daily basis to register their support for the monarch’s family. Worship centres have also joined in the ‘campaign’ as prayers in mosques, churches re-echo the tragedy, and offering supplications to God on behalf of the monarch.
Today (Sunday) makes exactly 15 days since the kidnap of the fist class monarch by suspected gunmen on the evening of Saturday July 16. While trying to escape with their victim, the kidnappers shot dead one of Onibas’ guards, Sunday Okanlawon, a motorcyclist and public transport operator, leaving behind tales of sorrows tears and blood.
However, like several high profile kidnappings nationwide, the family of the monarch believes the abduction of their breadwinner could not have been successful without the involvement of insiders.
Our reporter also realized that unlike before most Iba residents now retire to their abodes much earlier. This is either for fear of being kidnapped by ritualists or arrested and detained by security agents that are now on daily patrol in the area.
Since the incident there has been renewed apprehension at the palace following the phone call by the abductors penultimate Wednesday demanding a N500 million ransom before the Oniba could be released. The Nation gathered that the family had initially renegotiated the ransom to N40 million, and had thereafter gone into a frenzy in order to raise the cash. Unfortunately, they were not able to, and are now calling on government to either fast track its rescuing effort or assist the family in raising the said sum.
There is also growing concerns over Oniba’s deteriorating health in the hands of his captors. Aside his advanced age (73), one of the wives Alhaja Nofisat Idowu Oseni who was with her husband on the night of the kidnap, said he had been suffering from pains in the leg; the more reason why he often stays in his apartment on the ground floor rather than the palace upstairs.
Though the family spokesperson Saheed Oseni declined comments on the issue, our reporter learned from another top family source that the monarch family had secretly been in talks with the abductors. A dependable source told our reporter that the family had initially offered N10million to the abductors but they called their bluff, insisting to negotiate the N40 million ransom with government’s representatives only.
The Nation which has also made repeated visits to the palace since the incident discovered that issues discussed by sympathizers and other visitors to the palace often centre on the now loose security in their community. One occasion, this reporter once eavesdropped on four parents discussing the non necessity of allowing their children to continue going to school since they finished the third term exam, fearing dangers of their being abducted by ritualists. Youngsters have also been warning themselves on the foolhardiness of wandering aimlessly at night as security agents which now conduct regular surveillance in Iba could mistake them for criminals and may arrest them in the process.
In recent times, cases of various atrocities have been on the rise within Iba, Ojo and Badagry axis with abduction becoming most prominent.
Beyond religious houses, it appears that others interest may soon join the fray over concerns bordering on insecurity in the aforementioned areas.
On Thursday, the Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), held an emergency congress where it gave Lagos State government 24 hours to produce Oba Oseni and address general insecurity in the aforementioned communities.
The union fears that with incessant cases of abduction and ritual killings in the areas, the union as a stakeholder has a responsibility to call on the authority to live up to its responsibility.
Addressing the press after an emergency congress, secretary to the union Awoyemi Bola, said the union is more worried over growing cases of various atrocities in Iba, Ojo and Badagry axis.
But the Lagos State Government through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, assured the family and Lagosians that government is on top of the matter; nonetheless, Awoyemi said government’s continued silence since ransom was demanded speaks volumes of their alleged culpability on the issue.
“We want to say that it is the responsibility of the state to provide security for all; therefore government should be held responsible for Oniba’s kidnap as well as the incessant kidnapping and other atrocities within Iba, Ojo and Badagry areas,” Owoyemi said.
He added that the concern of the community was the release of the monarch without any harm to him. But while the monarch’s family continued to make clandestine moves to win the freedom of their breadwinner, they are also conducting intelligence investigation on the likely insiders that may have supplied the information to outsiders which made the kidnap of the monarch a lot easier and successful.
On Sunday July 17, a day after the incident, Alhaja Nofisat Oseni had alleged that the abductors must have worked with intelligence information before carrying out the operation.
She said: “Kabiyesi has an outstanding instruction not to see anybody again from 8pm. Even his children could hardly see him except it is urgent. So the kidnappers knew the palace was less congested and there was a little chance of getting the king rescued.
As the days wear on the question on many lips in Iba and the Lagos metropolis is: who are the scoundrels who desecrated the crown and the palace to kidnap a monarch and when and how soon would they be tracked down?