Traders in Agbado Market in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, have cried out over alleged harassment following the installation of new market leaders by the monarch of the Agbado community.
One of the market chieftains, Chief Sabiu Alao claimed that some persons parading themselves as new Babaloja and Iyaloja of Agbado have been harassing and threatening traders and subjecting them to unlawful taxation.
”I was installed as Babaloja by the Baale of Agbado, Chief Anthony Kayode Akinrinade, who remains the only recognised traditional ruler of Agbado, and my installation was affirmed by Alake, the paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo. The unrecognised market leaders have since imposed extraneous taxes such as owo oba, owo iyaloja, and owo Babaloja on traders and have been using thugs to enforce the collection of the illegal fee on a daily basis.
Responding, the Asoju Oba of Agbado, Deacon Kola Oshoko dismissed the allegations as tissue of lies. He said: ”Before 2017, there has been an issue with the market when the Baale of Agbado was upgraded to Oba. We took the then market leaders to an Ota High Court which held that the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo and Baale Akinrinade have no right to install anyone as Babaloja and Iyaloja of Agbado Market.”
“The judgment specifically stated that Alake’s jurisdiction does not go beyond Abeokuta South Local Government and as such cannot appoint or install chiefs outside his area and the judgment was never appealed against to date.”