The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Monarch arrested over alleged criminality in Ondo

    The suspended traditional ruler of Igburowo community in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Pius Akinfesola Adewola, has been arrested by the police in connection with alleged defrauding of the council of several millions of naira.

    Oba Adewola was picked up at the premises of the state High Court where he had gone to in connection to a court case he instituted against the government, by men of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), of the Ondo State Police command, Akure.

    The monarch, who is the Akamuja of Igburowo, was alleged to have impersonated a staff of Odigbo Local Government and defrauded the council to the tune of N16 million.

    Sources said the suspected monarch was arrested in Ondo town, following a petition written to the state Commissionmer of Police, Isaac Eke,  by his community through their counsel, Gabriel Ohre a copy of which was made available to The Nation.

    The monarch was alleged to have injected names of some people into the payment voucher of chiefs in the community.

    The petition entitled: ”Complaint of forgery, impersonation, stealing and fraud of a sum of N16m against Oba Pius Adewola” accused the monarch of putting the names of some high chiefs and chiefs of his community, who had died a long time ago in the payroll of chiefs for the purpose of collecting their salaries from the council.

    “Some of the late high chiefs and chiefs, who died since 2002, still have their names listed in payment voucher for payment of allowances to chiefs of Igburowo community by Oba Pius Adewola with the conspiracy of four other suspects.

    “The existing chiefs whose names reflect in the payment voucher for chiefs allowance for Igburowo community are denied access to the allowances, while Oba Pius Adewola in collaboration with the suspects forged their signatures, impersonated them and stole their respective allowances.

    “The deceased chiefs who died since 2002, have their names retained in the voucher by the Oba while their signatures were forged, money meant for them claimed and diverted into the personal pocket of the Oba via Odigbo Local Government and for this reason the monarch refused to appoint news chiefs to replace the dead ones,” the petition stated.

    It was also alleged that the monarch injected names of four persons, two of whom were civil servants into the fictitious staff list in his palace and fraudulently obtained their salaries at the end of every month.

    It would be recalled that the Ondo State government had in a letter dated November 17, 2012, suspen-ded Oba Adewola, during which the people of the community embarked on a peaceful demonstration and chased the monarch out for bringing disgrace to the community.

    However, in defiance of the order of the state government that the embattled Oba should stop parading himself as the Akamuja of Igburowo, he went ahead to institute a law suit against some indigenes of the ancient town.

    It was after his appearance in the state High Court that he was arrested by the police.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wole Ogodo, confirmed the arrest of the monarch, adding that investigation has begun on the matter.

    He stressed that the suspect would be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.

  • Jungle justice

    Jungle justice

    In the last three months, Lagos has been in the grip of the mob who deliver jungle justice to anyone accused of kidnapping, even without convincing facts. The fear of the mob has become the beginning of wisdom for many Lagosians as fear of extra-judicial killings grips many residents. Seun Akioye investigates

    There were more than 1,000 people in the murderous mob comprising mostly of commercial motorcyclists and tricycle riders, motor park touts and idle youths the day Ify Blessing, a graduate of Public Administration from the University of Maiduguri, was stripped naked, beaten up and murdered.

    For many hours, her body burned at the gates of Idowu Adetunji Street, Ekoro Road in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

    Almost everyone in the crowd agreed she attempted to kidnap three children, two boys and a girl on their way to school. But what the crowd could not agree to was the manner of the kidnap; while a section of the crowd said she came in a Jeep four-wheel-drive and was caught when she was making a phone call to prospective buyers, others said she seized the children on the way to school and attempted to take them in the opposite direction. Newcomers to the scene believed either story depending on the side of the crowd they were in. And of course, you could make up your own version.

    The accused stood in the midst of the crowd, naked and bleeding. She did not respond to any of the questions posed at her by her tormentors. This to the crowd confirmed her guilt and more blows were rained on her. She took the blows without crying and when she fell under the powers of the flames, she did not beg for mercy.

    Alhaji S. Taiwo remembered the day. “It is disheartening, it is wicked, inhuman. I could not sleep for three days after witnessing what the crowd did that day, “he told The Nation. As one of the community leaders on Idowu Adetunji Street, Taiwo’s house overlooks the gate of the street where Ify was murdered.  From a room, in his third floor apartment, he had a vintage position to witness all that happened on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.

    “I saw everything; none of the boys on this street took part. When the crowd attempted to bring her into the estate, we locked the gate. We called the police. It was dangerous to interfere, some of us who tried to were beaten up, one luckily escaped with his life. Now, we know the woman was innocent, they just killed her for nothing,” Taiwo said, shaking with anger.

    The story of Ify strongly reminiscent of what has become the lot of many in Lagos recently. In the last three months there have been more than 40 reported cases of mob justice against those accused of either stealing or kidnapping children for the sake of ritual money. In many of the cases, the first accusers were not known, a slight suspicion was enough to send the mob into a frenzy of murder and their usual instrument of death is arson.

    The second day, after Ify was murdered another man was burnt to death on Osundairo Street in Iyana-Ipaja, another suburb of Lagos.  The victim later identified as  Shams-ideen Yussuf was accused of trying to kidnap a 4-year-old boy, who was also on his way to school. Eyewitnesses said Yussuf was wearing only his underwear and looking unkempt. His ‘crime’ was being seen near a school child and when questioned, his response was incoherent, so the mob descended on him, stripped whatever remained of his clothes, a disused car tyre was brought, money was contributed to buy petrol and he was burnt to death.  Black smoke rose from the burning flesh visible for all to see several meters away.

     

    Disturbing trend

     

    The day Ify died, another suspected kidnapper was almost murdered about two kilometers from the spot of her murder. He had been accused of trying to kidnap some children, no one is sure how many or the manner of kidnap but mere accusation had satisfied the mob which was about to burn him to death but he was saved by a detachment of tough looking police officers from Ile-Epo police station.

    A reliable police source at the Ile-Epo police divisional headquarters told The Nation that five more people were rescued from irate mobs that same week within the area.

    “But the irony of the matter is all those we rescued were all mad people. After securing their identities, we have released them to their families. And all those who accused them have ran away and we can’t even find the children they were supposed to have kidnapped or attempted to kidnap,” she said.

    Investigations conducted by The Nation into the murder of Ify revealed startling facts about the alleged kidnapper. Alhaji Taiwo said he had met her father at the police station who confirmed she had mental problems.

    “Her father told me her mental problem began the first year she started working after her graduation from the University. This has prevented her from getting married or doing anything worthwhile with her life. Her sister brought her to Lagos to take proper care of her before she met her death,” Taiwo said.

    Investigations also revealed that prior to her death; Ify had lived on Adigun Popoola Street in Ekoro road, about 500 meters from where she died. When The Nation visited the neighbourhood, few people initially admitted they knew where she lived; but many later confirmed she was indeed mad.

    “She had mental problems but you wouldn’t know, every morning, she would go to the bus stop to beg for money. But because she was always neat and she dressed well many people didn’t know her mental state. She came to live here with her sister in November 2013,” a resident volunteered.

    Alhaji Adisa (surname protected), a human rights activist in Ekoro said the suspect who was rescued at Ile-Epo was really mad. “The boy was discharged from Yaba Psychiatrist Hospital in 2010; the father brought the discharge certificate. He fought with his boss where he was learning a trade and disappeared only to show up here in Ile-Epo. If not for the police, he would have been killed,” he said.

    A disturbing trend about the jungle justice is that many of the victims were either totally mad or suffer from autistic conditions. In Ify’s case, her accusers said when she was questioned, her response was incoherent.

    “How can her response be coherent, were they blind to see she was not normal?” Adisa asked, full of anger. In his house, a fully grown autistic woman came outside, she could speak but her words were full of inconsistencies. “She is an endangered specie,  that is why we don’t ever leave her alone in the house, somebody must always be with her. If she goes out and someone accused her of kidnapping how will she defend herself, how will her words be coherent?” he asked.

     

    Guilty or not

     

    But an irate mob is hardly convinced about the mental stability of its victim neither does it care about getting facts of the accusation. Most of the time, therefore, many of its victims were found to have been innocent, only when it was too late.

    That was the case of Ify. In her Adigun Popoola Street, a pall of gloom had descended on the neighbourhood since her murder. The residents are wary of the label her murder had given the street and any inquiry about her met with stoic silence, at first.

    A woman identified as “Iya Latifat” who sells provisions on the street said she knew the late woman as the deceased used to patronise her store. The Nation asked her if Ify was a kidnapper, she responded to this inquiry with a look of profound contempt.

    “She was not a kidnapper, I knew her,” she snapped, a sort of anger creeping to her face. “I knew her, she was my customer. She loved groundnuts and she comes here every day to buy N20 worth, if you see her, you will think she was a rich woman, until she starts begging for money,” she said.

    She also revealed that Ify was plump and big; she had a pink cap on her head all the time and had a rich look around her. “She wears second hand clothes but they were neat, she doesn’t speak much except to ask for money from anybody. I didn’t know she was the one they were burning, if I knew I would have been able to identify her.”

    Many people on that street felt the same way. Many carried with them the guilty feelings of their inability to save a fellow resident who was incapable of saving herself. The day of her death, her sister identified as Uche was said to have gone around looking for her late into the evening, until someone came to tell her she saw Ify’s clothes near the scene of the tragedy.

    “Normally, she doesn’t stay outside too long, but on that day she didn’t come back till evening. That was when alarm was raised. It’s sad she died like that, if only she could talk, we have left her killers in the hands of God,” Iya Latifat said. But the irony of Ify’s death was that she was to be taken to a church for ‘deliverance’ the day she died.

    Pastor John Amaga of Deliverance Outreach Ministries, located on the same street said he had tried to conduct a deliverance session for the deceased. “Every time I asked her to come to church, she would just say give me breakfast. I believe she was bewitched, she had been harmed in the spirit and the physical manifestation just came about,” he said.

    Inside her former house on 13, Popoola Adigun Street, family members had gathered to condole with her sister. It was difficult to believe Ify had been living in the house which was decently arranged and kept neat. Though The Nation could not see Ify’s sister, after repeated visits, a family member said the issue has been left in the hands of God.

    On Tuesday, May 13, a grandmother was almost murdered in Ajegunle by a mob who had accosted her when a baby was found with her. Without waiting for explanations, the mob accused her of kidnapping the day-old baby and proceeded to lynch her.

    It was later learnt she was the baby’s grandmother and the hospital had asked her to take care of the child as the mother was mentally unstable. That same day, a mob descended on a man in Shasha area of Akowonjo and almost killed him but for the timely intervention of the police.

    “It was the Baale that called the police before the man was saved. It was actually the parents of the child that asked him to take the child to school because it was on his way,” an eyewitness said.

     

    A riotous mob

     

    The crowd that supervised the burning of Ify had showed her no mercy, according to several eyewitnesses interviewed by The Nation, Ify’s travail did not start from Idowu Adetunji gate. It was gathered that she had been accused of kidnapping by a woman very close to her own street and dragged all the way to where she was eventually murdered.

    “You should have seen them that day, they were beating her mercilessly, somebody went to the petrol station to get petrol and when they burnt her, they were turning her like a barbecue,” Alhaji Taiwo said.

    Several other witnesses, who do not want their names mentioned described the mood of the mob as demonic. “It was like they were possessed by demons. There were a few people who tried to stop them but they were beaten up, one man was chased down the street, I am sure he is still recuperating in the hospital now,” one said.

    The mob is usually very violent and unrestrained. Only those who were ready to face the consequences dared interfere. In Iyana-Ipaja, the mob was so violent; it was able to repeal the police who came to rescue the victim.

    In the Ekoro tragedy, most of those in the mob were Okada riders and motor park touts, some witnesses also accused the members of the Ekoro motor park of complicity in the murder.  ”Okada and Marwa people are very touchy, a little thing  and they go on rampage,” an eyewitness said.     Two weeks ago, after the Police had rescued a suspected kidnapper putting him under protective custody, the mob had followed the police to the station and demanded jungle justice on the suspect.

    “Our DPO (Divisional Police Officer) had to forcefully take the suspect to the Force Headquarters because the crowd had the audacity to demand that we hand over the suspect to them for jungle justice. It was that bad,” a police source said.

    How does a mob work? According to findings, most mobs gather their strength from their number, the more the people, the more the difficulty in pinning the crime on a particular person. And in Nigeria where most mob actions go unpunished,  it has become a ‘legitimate’ weapon used by the poor against fellow citizens.

    In Lagos, where an army of unemployed and under-employed youths roam the streets, it is very easy to be lured into crime especially when there will be no repercussions. In Ify’s case, those who killed her were said to have come from far and near and the men seemed eager to strip her naked.

    “Ha, when they stripped her, you could see she was a beautiful woman, she would be in her 40s and when they were beating and mocking her, she just took it all in quietly, like a sheep led to the slaughter,” an eyewitness said.

    So what could have turned an otherwise decent crowd into a blood sucking, murderous mob? According to Adesanyan Olawale, a socio-behavioural scientist, the behavi-our of the mob was a result of bottled up anger against the ills of the society.

    “People say when election is around the corner, that is when all these disappearances happen, so the people are charged already. If you look at the mob, you will see it is made up of the jobless and those on the lower strata of the societal ladder. They are already angry at the corruption and ills of the land, so they believe that kidnappers used the children for money or political ritual and as such they should not be spared,” Olawale said.

    But one wonders why the suspects were not handed over to the police as usually advocated by law enforcement agents. “The people do not trust the police any longer, they say the police will release them and they will go scot free, that’s why they take the laws into their hands,” Pastor Amaga said.

    While agreeing that the people may have passed a vote of no confidence in the police, former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) vice chairman, Ikorodu branch, Barrister Adedotun Adetunji said  jungle justice has no place in the Nigerian law.

    “It is detestable and under the law it is wrong. There have been many cases where they have lynched the innocent. But you see, the people are charged and when  they see all the injustice going on in government they tend to take the laws into their own hands. But that does not justify jungle justice, it should not be condoned,” Adetunji said.

    Coming to the spirited defense of the police, Alhaji Aziz Fasugba, a community leader in Oke-Odo area said poverty could not be the reason for the unrestrained behaviour of the mob. He said the people’s superstitious belief about ritual killings during election time usually fuels the suspicions of kidnappings and the acts were mainly carried out by touts.

    “When they blame the police, you should know that the police need evidence and when such is not forthcoming, the police will have to release the accused. Only people with criminal inclinations will resort to such barbaric acts,” Fasugba said.

    A police source also blamed the problem on the populace. “How can we solve crime when people don’t give us the information to unravel crime, what is the basis for jungle justice when you don’t have evidence, it’s a societal problem and not a vote of no confidence in the police,” the source argued.

    In proffering a solution, the police in Oke-Odo said it has begun a mass sensitisation of the people of the area towards eradicating the problem. “We have called all the leaders of thought in this area and enjoined them to go back to their communities and enlighten their people. We commend some who have taken action against this scourge in the past and plead with the people not to take the laws into their hands,” a police source said.

    On his part, Adetunji said the people’s orientation must change. “When we have a government that listens to the yearnings of the people and which the people can trust. The rule of law must be in place and the wishes and aspirations of the people must be done. Then trust can return and we will see less of such problems in the society,” he said.

     

    Government takes

    a tough stance

     

    Worried by the growing trend of mob justice, the Lagos State government through the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, last week issued a warning against the barbaric act saying the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone caught engaging in jungle justice, no matter what the alleged criminal could have done.

    Ipaye noted that anyone who engages in such act has committed criminal act and liable to arrest and punishment. “Even, if they did commit the alleged offence, there is a process for prosecuting and showing the evidence in court so that proven criminals can be properly punished according to law,” he said.

    In the same vein, the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar warned that the police will no longer tolerate the act of jungle justice.  “The IGP warns that any person found to be involved in any acts of impunity or jungle justice must bear the full wrath of the law as two wrongs cannot make a right,” a statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba said.

    In the same vein, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command told The Nation jungle justice is not acceptable in Lagos. “Nobody has any right to take any life no matter the gravity of the offense, if you see anyone committing a crime, the next thing is to call the police, the command is against it, you don’t have the right to kill,” she said.

    Braide, who blamed the occurrences of jungle justice on moral decadence in the society said whoever commits such acts will be arrested. “We will deal with those arrested with the full measure of the law, the act is unacceptable.”

    On Wednesday, May 14, at about 6:00pm, about 100 people gathered in Ify’s house for a solemn  service of songs for her departed  soul. Among the crowd were family members, residents of the street, church members and other sympathisers. A family source told The Nation, the service may be the only last rites accorded her because her body had been burnt to ashes.

    At the gate of Adetunji Idowu Street, a huge pile stood in the middle of the road, on closer look there were remnant of burnt car tires and ashes. “This is where they burnt her, this is where it happened,” Alhaji Taiwo pointed to the spot on the ground.  And that was where Ify was buried, that was where her ashes remained.

  • Oyo/Osun Customs Area Command vows to suppress smuggling of Marijuana

    Oyo/Osun Customs Area Command vows to suppress smuggling of Marijuana

    The Nigeria Customs Service appears determined to prevent all forms of smuggling, including narcotics and illicit drugs into the country. It’s Oyo/Osun Area Command recently intercepted some consignments of Indian hemp being smuggled from across the border and they arrested the smugglers. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports on the effort to stop the illicit business and the harmful effect of smoking Cannabis Sativa.

    On January 16, 2014, a Toyota Sienna bus with registration number Lagos EPE 39 AY, loaded with 29 sacks of Indian hemp was arrested along Saki-Iseyin axis by men of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service.

    Four months later the anti-smuggling squad of the Command intercepted a Peugeot 504 car along the same axis carrying 22 (50kg) bags of smuggled rice and sixty packages of the illicit drug neatly concealed with yam flour. The driver, Wasiu Raji, resident at No. 3, Challenge Road, Saki in Oyo State, was immediately arrested.

    The Nation learnt that these arrests and seizures were just a few of the successes recorded by the Command in recent times in their fight against the smuggling of illicit drugs into the country especially through the Iseyin/Saki land corridor which is becoming a major problem in the area, and also an indication that some unpatriotic Nigerians are still engaged in the business.

    Use of narcotics such as Indian hemp which are becoming rampant in the society especially among the youth is considered as one of the factors responsible for the cause of insanity among many Nigerians who were addicted to the weeds.

    Some Indian hemp farms have been discovered in Oluyole, Iseyin and Saki in Oyo State, as well as in some parts of Ondo State and destroyed by law enforcement agents.

    The rate at which people, especially the youth, consume the weeds is quite alarming. In motor-parks, garages, residences, beer-parlour and comfort stations, it is a common sight.

    Some of the consumers who obliged to speak with The Nation claimed to derive a lot of benefits from the consumption of the weeds, but failed to see some health hazards and challenges it might cause to users.

    “The leaves alone are used as drug to reduce excitement, irritation and pain as well as to induce deep sleep,” Tajudeen Adewale one of the consumers who spoke on the advantages of Indian hemp said.

    Though Tajudeen, 25, tried to justify the fact that smoking the weeds is medicinal, he lacked  the courage to display his habit in the open out of fear that he could be caught by law enforcement agents.

    The Comptroller Oyo/Osun Command of Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Richard Oteri, discouraged the consumption, smuggling and cultivation of Indian hemp because of its negative impact on the health of the populace.

    According to him, the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria forbids the use of narcotics, one of which is Indian hemp.

    He warned the operators of the illicit trade to desist from it as the command would not leave any stone unturned to ensure that anyone caught faces the full wrath of the law.

    “I want to use this medium to warn all unpatriotic Nigerians who engage in this illicit business of smuggling unwholesome goods into Nigeria, that it is no longer business as usual in the Oyo/Osun Area Command axis as the Command has been well equipped by our visionary and dogged leader, the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Abdullahi Dikko Inde (CFR) with the provision of AK 47 riffles and three brand new Hilux vehicles which have enhanced our performance,” the Customs boss reiterated.

    The Command, he said, will continue to arrest and prosecute suspects who engage in smuggling of cannabis into the country, while stating that the men of the Customs have made giant strides in suppressing smuggling of Indian hemp.

    “With our intelligence network and the effective strategies put in place in the Command, sixty packages of Indian hemp have been handed over to the State Commander, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Oyo State, Mrs Faboyede Omolade, on Tuesday May 13, 2014, in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration.

    “The Legal Advisers of both the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA) are to file separate charges against the accused person.  The charges are to be filed  on the same day.

    “We shall continue to build on this robust relationship with other sister agencies to rid the society of criminal elements that are working against the interest of the country. The Command will not relent in its war against smuggling till it is reduced to its barest minimum,” Oteri said.

    Marijuana, another name for Indian hemp, especially the variety Cannabis, from which several narcotic drugs are obtained is a coarse Asian plant, of the family Cannabaceae, widely cultivated for its fiber and for its yield of intoxicating drugs.

    Many out of ignorance, have abused and misused the plant and in the process have developed severe nervous exhaustion, convulsions and neuralgia.

    Yet, some part of Indian hemp is said to contain medicinal values when regulated.

    Dr. Edward Akomolafe of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, in his assessment stated that Indian hemp plant provides three products, namely, fiber from the stems, oil from the seeds and narcotic from the leaves and flowers.

    He, however, cautioned strongly against smoking of the leaves and flowers, which contained narcotics as it has caused severe damage to the nervous system, and is responsible for a lot of mental challenges being faced by many Nigerians who have formed the habit of smoking the leaves and flowers of Marijuana.

  • Landslide threatens Okitipupa as rehabilitation begins

    Okitipupa, the capital of the ‘Ikales’ in Ondo State, is currently facing  natural hurdles capable of endangering the lives of its inhabitants. A landslide on a major road is threatening to cut the area into two, making vehicular traffic near impossible.The site is scaring but Ondo State government has assured the people in the area of government’s quick intervention to rehabilitate the landslide along the major road in the council headquarters.

    The disaster, which according to residents of the area occurred few days ago claimed a section of the Adeniran Estate area of the popular Broad Street, the major road in the local government.

    The Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, who rushed to the site of the natural disaster in company with the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Eni Akinsola, member representing Okitipupa constituency 2 at the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele and Director in the Ministry of Works, said government would take drastic measures to prevent future occurrence.

    According to him, “this is not a road failure, it is a geophysical failure of an existing structure which means the road is sliding and it needs urgent attention because it is risky for road users.”

    He assured that the survey would be ready in 24hours, after which the government would come up with a design.

    Adegbenro said though the problem is a long term issue, but pointed out that the first 50-meters of the slide would be rehabilitated and sustained urgently so as to avoid total landslide and make the road passable for users.

    Akinsola, urged the people of the area to prevent heavy duty vehicles from plying the road until the road was fully rehabilitated in order to prevent total landslide.

    The member representing Okitipupa Constituency 2 at the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Akindele, also appreciated the swift intervention of the state government to the plight of her people.

    Governor Mimiko, who also visited the site said engineers were already surveying the damaged area, which affected the major road that links Okitipupa and Igbokoda.

    He assured residents that his administration would not allow the situation to degenerate, adding that their safety was a priority to the government.

    Mimiko urged residents to stay off the site because of its inherent danger.

    Some concerned residents in the area urged the state government to expedite action in rehabilitating the landslide to prevent loss of human lives.

    According to them, with the present development, there is an urgent need to take prompt action against the natural disaster, stressing that delay might be dangerous.

    At the weekend, it was learnt that rehabilitation works have started on the site, while the road has been cordoned off to traffic.

    The chairman of the Ondo State Asphalt Company (OSAC), that is handling the project, Engr. Kehinde Osikoya said work had commenced immediately after the visit of Governor Mimiko to the site.

    According to him, “What we met on ground was serious earth movement which can be described as landslide, it virtually cut the road into two and that is why the area has been cordoned off because it is very unsafe for motorists to use the road.

    “In the next two weeks, we would have gotten to a stage where the road will be re-opened and after then, we will begin the channel-isation to make the road motorable again.”

  • Encomiums as ex-Attorney-Gen. Akinlaja opens chamber

    Encomiums as ex-Attorney-Gen. Akinlaja opens chamber

    •Says the multi-million-naira project will help the oppressed

    Giants in the legal profession paid tributes when a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, Mr Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), inaugurated his multi-million-naira chamber in Akure, Ondo State. Damisi DAMISI OJO was there

    The epoch-making outing was primarily designed for giants in legal practice especially, to felicitate with one of their own, Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti State, as he opened his new multi-million-naira chamber in Akure, Ondo State capital. It, however, turned out to be an avenue for frontliners in the noble calling to extol his virtues as a workaholic activist lawyer, which, they advised younger ones should emulate.

    The venue was the eye-popping edifice, Amity House of Dayo Akinlaja & Co. situated at Oshinle Junction, Hospital Road, in the heart of Akure, the tastefully furnished building was the cynosure of all eyes. Even passersby strained necks to behold the masterpiece.

    The bigwigs from the Bar and Bench stepped out to be counted. Among them were: Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi; his Ekiti State counterpart, Justice Ayodeji Daramola; President, Customary Court of Appeal, Ondo State, Justice Taiwo Aguda and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).

    Former Plateau State Commissioner of Police, who is now a Special Adviser to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Security Matters, Mr Dipo Ayeni, was among other eminent personalities who gathered to witness the commissioning and opening of the new law house.

    Legal luminary and former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who is Akinlaja’s “professional father,” chaired the occasion. The accomplished legal icon exuded a sense of fulfillment while the event lasted.

    Members of Akinlaja’s family, especially his ever-smiling mother, could not contain their joy. So it was for his kinsmen from Ikere, his home town who turned out in enchanting attires.

    It was a moment for younger lawyers to learn a lesson: That hard work, selflessness and diligence are major ingredients of success. The venue roared in applause when the story was told how Akinlaja had been using the instrument of law to fight for the oppressed, especially the less-privileged.

    It was also said, how he, alongside another prominent lawyer, fought tirelessly for the reinstatement of 49 lecturers that were unjustly sacked in the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, years back.

    He assured that he remained irrevocably committed to fighting the cause of the cheated through the profession, explaining that the commitment accounted for why he christened his chamber Amity House.

    Declaring the occasion open, Ikere-born Olanipekun, who held the gathering spell-bound with his thought-provoking edifying speech that was impressively laced with proverbs and biblical quotes, said: “My heart is glad. I rejoice with Dayo Akinlaja and Co, and with the family of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). It is a landmark for a lawyer to attain this feat; it is a landmark for a lawyer to have the grace of God to have this type of structure that houses his chamber.

    “In our profession, I have always been telling our colleagues, particularly senior one and more particularly, those who have been blessed by God to invest in the profession. This is heart-warming.”

    According to him, the profession has made them by the grace of God since it is from it that they earn their living. Therefore, they must pay the profession back by contributing to enhancing its nobility.

    He explained: “Younger ones and even those who are not lawyers, if they see a lawyer who is shabby, whose office is contained in a room and parlour, and who struggles with nearby tenants to enter into his office, will think that law is not a living profession.

    “I am not saying that lawyers should be extravagant. But what I am saying is that we lawyers must learn how to plough back into the profession. We have to invest part of our income into the profession for us to stand out. The way of doing such thing is what this young man has done today. And when you look at the entire Akure, I think Akinlaja has distinguished himself with this feat.

    “To me as a person, I feel fulfilled. He trained in my office. He is the fifth SAN that will come out of my womb as a lawyer. Each and every one of them has his (or her) own law office like this because it is the type of environment from where they grew up.”

    Olanipekun described Akinlaja as one of the best in the legal profession today that people can boast of, adding: “I as a person, I boast in the Lord that God has made him to pass through my office. Dayo is my professional son. So, this is also my own personal achievement.

    “Those of us who are elders in the profession should be happy; we should be glad; we should rejoice when those who have passed through us are doing very well. We should not be envious of their achievements. We should not feel jealous; rather, we should pray for them. If your son is doing well, it is a fulfillment.” He showered encomiums on Akinlaja’s mother and wife, congratulating them for their input in the ex-commissioner’s successes.

    In his remarks, Akinlaja said: “I thank God who gave me the strength to build this place. I feel professionally fulfilled and I thank God Almighty. By His grace, I am a SAN. It is befitting to have this edifice to complement my status as a Senior Advocate.”

    On why he erected the structure in Akure, he said: “It was just a happenstance, I would say. Of course, I was practising as a lawyer in Ilorin. I was there for 19 years until I was appointed Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ekiti state.

    “When I came into the office, I just had an inspiration that this axis of Ekiti and Ondo states was in dire need of professional leadership. And I got that inspiration to put a structure of my own, to relocate the head office of my practice to this axis.

    “It turned out that in the course of my searching for where to get the office, I got this auspicious and strategic area of the town. So, as I did mention, it is a product of happenstance.

    “The good thing is that I am able to cover both Ekiti and Ondo states. Ekiti and Ondo states share the same umblical cord. To my mind, a project like this, being in Akure, is as good as being in Ekiti State. Both states are of the same parentage.”

    Encomiums poured in for Akinlaja from Kumuyi, Daramola, Aguda and Jegede, who represented Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the event. They were all agreed that Akinlaja is a humble legal giant.

    The former CP, Ayeni said Akinlaja’s accomplishment is a reflection of his commitment and brilliance, stressing that the Senior Advocate is an epitome of humility and transparent honesty.

  • Hunting for survival

    Hunting for survival

    Against the backdrop of biting unemployment in the country, a group of young men in Akure, Ondo State, has taken to hunting. DAMISI OJO visited their base at the popular Onyearugbulem Market junction along Akure-Owo Expressway. His report:

    They are young men between the ages of 20 and 35 years who in spite of the high level of unemployment in the country are sustaining themselves and families by hunting for games in the forest and selling the ‘Bush Meat’ to a growing clientele of people with appetite for wild animals.

    They are professional/commercial hunters and members of ‘Young Shall Grow Hunters Association (YSGHA), a group they inherited from their fore fathers, particularly a retired soldier named “Aboke” who has now retired from hunting due to old age and returned to his home town, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    According to the deputy chairman of the association, Mr Ojo Peter, in a chat with The Nation, it was their forefathers who were predominantly hunters and retired soldiers that formed the Association some 50 years ago. Then their hunting expeditions were purely for private and family consumptions unlike the situation now where the animals are killed for commercial purposes.

    Peter, who disclosed that YSGHA is based on mutual trust and understanding, devoid of rebellion or bickering parades about 30 members, all of whom are licensed hunters recognised by the government.

    His words: “Memberships of our association are drawn from all tribes and professions, among us we have undergraduates, artisans, soldiers, policemen, young students and pastors, but the major impetus is trust.”

    The deputy chairman said within the association, there are two groups – The Hunters simply called “Gunmen” who shoot the animals when they are in the bush, and the “Girls” who drag the animals out of the forest to the waiting hands of the hunters who in turn shoot them to death.

    According to him, they operate in all the forests across the country and mostly on invitations from communities or individual farmers who are being tormented by wild animals destroying their farms.

    He said they have rules guiding members of the association which must be adhered to strictly, stressing that violators are liable to prosecution.

    According to him: “As part of our laws,  hunters must not shoot unnecessarily without seeing their targets, while it is against our rule to “steal” any crop in the forest, but we may pluck paw-paw for consumption in the forest if available because it is a natural fruit”

    Shedding more light on their operation, Peter said they are in the forest from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday is observed as a day of rest in accordance with the dictate of the holy scripture.

    He debunked the rumours that the hunters rely on magical power (Juju) to catch the animals in large number saying, As I said earlier, we have pastors among us, and it is our culture to pray on a daily basis before we move into the bush and God has always been protecting us and answering our prayers, there has been no report of accidental shooting by any of the hunters.”

    Among their frequent catches are wild pigs (esi) antelope, grass cutter squirrel, monkey, rodents, reptiles and assorted birds.

    According to him, during the rainy season like now, they usually kill as many as seven wild pigs daily which usually go for about N50,000 per one.

    He said they normally share their proceeds equally among themselves without any rancour after taking care of miscellaneous expenses like money for weapons, gun powder and logistics from home to the forest and vice versa.

    “We operate like one family we have rules binding on all members.  Before becoming a hunter, you must have operated as ‘Girls’ whose responsibility is to comb the forest and drag animals out for the hunters (gunmen).”

    Peter disclosed that many of them had built their own houses and bought cars from the proceeds of their hunting expeditions saying “we are contended with the job, though we face many challenges in the forest, but God has been on our side.”

    He urged government at all levels to provide employment for the teeming young graduates to reduce crime rate in the country, stressing that satan provides jobs for the idle hands.

    As at the time The Nation visited the “Animals Sales Outlet”, a big wild pig was being slaughtered and cut into pieces at the slab, while customers trooped in to purchase various parts of the animal ranging from N500.

    It was gathered that there is no day the hunters will operate without having catches of assorted animals especially antelopes, grass cutters, rodents and monkeys.

  • OGUN: The making of an Industrial Hub

    OGUN: The making of an Industrial Hub

    Still basking in the euphoria of the successes recorded from its maiden edition of its Investors’ Forum, Ogun State appears set to consolidate with the hosting of the second edition of the forum. MUYIWA LUCAS writes

    Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun State governor, is a happy man. Amosun’s happiness stems from the silent industrial revolution currently going on in his state. Two years after the maiden edition of the Ogun State investment forum, about 45 companies, each with a minimum investment of $100 million, have made the state their abode.

    And in this, the high-rise cap wearing governor takes delight. “Today, I have the pleasure that Ogun State is now the industrial base of the country. No state has the number of industries that we now have in this state; it is not an unhealthy rivalry with anybody,” Amosun told a gathering at a forum preparatory to the second edition of the state investment forum which commence today at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kobape Road, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The investments spilling into the state are said to be the fallout of the policies put in place by the administration since its inception in 2011. For instance, early in the life of the administration, a clear-cut focus was put in place for achieving the set goals, one of which was to improve on agriculture and also embark on urban development. This reasoning was premised on the belief that agriculture will lead to urban development, and at the same time create wealth for the state considering its capacity to employ more people and the possibility of processing farm produce, which will ultimately lead to the harnessing and development in agriculture.

    It is therefore not out of place that the theme for this year’s investors’ forum is “Agriculture and Urban Development: Ogun State… The new Frontier.” Besides, it is the belief that promoting sustainable agriculture will lead to industrialis-ation. “That is why we belief that agriculture is imperative for urbanisation. For instance, a starch manufacturing firm came here to grow cassava; and we had to encourage them to set up their processing plant here to produce the starch since the raw material is here. This will also create employment for our people; we are encouraging industries not to look far for their raw materials elsewhere because they are all here in our state,” the governor noted.

    Amosun explained that the state chose the two sectors as the focus of the forum because, apart from the fact that they are interwoven, they also serve as agents of change, while agriculture, in particular, gives the state an edge over other states of the federation in terms of potentials and the gateway position of the state to other neighbouring countries. For him, the proximity of the state to Lagos State and also being an entry/exit point to other countries in the West African region, make the state stand tall above others as far as commercial agriculture is concerned. His words: “What we have in Ogun is not the seven million population but the ease with which we can be a hub. We are very close to Oyo and Lagos population. So, it is easy to make Ogun as hub. We are creating and repairing our roads, and as well building modern markets. So with these, you can access the West African countries through Ogun.”

    As part of measures to turn the state into an industrial hub, the state is working closely with the Bank of Industries (BoI) to aid credit facilities for investors. This is aside the ease of acquisition of land for investment purposes like farming and siting of factories and other industries. Ogun State government, The Nation learnt, gives as much as 70 per cent rebate on cost of acquiring land and ensures that documentation of such properties are concluded at the speed of light. However, such lands have a caveat: development must commence on it within six months of its allocation. This, the governor explained, is to ensure that only serious minded investors come to the state. For him, the target is to feed, cloth, house and move Lagos, as well as becoming the industrial hub of West African region. By this he means being the all round provider of the needs of Lagosians, in the area of agriculture, accommodation, and others socio-economic needs of the state. A high point of the forum will be the launch of the state’s metro city project, on which the urban development programme of the administration is anchored. This aims to bring mega cities, comparable to what obtains in developed countries and places like Dubai, to the state.

    These efforts appears to be falling in line with a study conducted shortly after the inauguration of the present administration which hinted that the state will attain fiscal autonomy by 2015, provided her current economic realities are sustained. This was contained in the preliminary report of the peer review exercise conducted by the policy consultant to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr. Ilyasu Gashinbaki. According to the report, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was projected to exceed that of Oyo State by 2013; and may be ranked in the same category with major IGR driven states like Lagos, Kano and Rivers by 2020. It reckoned that if the current policy thrust is sustained by successive regimes especially regarding port development – deep sea port Olokola regional free trade zones, Kajola special rail system; Gateway International Airport, tourism, trade and  commerce, construction boom and trans ECOWAS trade, then Ogun will become the most advanced subnation among countries in the West African sub region. Besides, the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is said to be bigger than that of countries like Togo, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe amongst others.

    According to 2007 GDP estimates, the state was ranked ninth in the country with regards to GDP, with approximately $10.5billion GDP when the State’s population based on the 2006 census, was about 3.75 million and 16th among the 36 states in Nigeria. But these have since changed in the last three years. Ogun State now provides a home for many as a large number of the workforce of Lagos now reside in the Ogun due to the urbanisation and rural development schemes that have given room for several satellite estates emerging in various locations in the state. Likewise, most of the direct foreign investments coming into the country have found an appropriate business atmosphere within her several industrial layouts, including new businesses which are coming into the state in droves. These and more makes Amosun to say that “today, Ogun State is not only open for business, it is business.”

    The Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, told The Nation that apart from the 45 industries that came as a result of the 2012 economic forum, 19 other industries are at the various stages of construction. He said that the influx of industries into the state has made her the state where President Goodluck Jonathan has visited the most to commission industries and factories. “These are the result of the last forum. It shows that we have been able to sort out things for our people. You can see that infrastructure goes with urban development. I am happy to tell you that we are also a leading state in driving the SMEs and the result has encouraged us to hold the second edition of the investor’s forum,” an obviously satisfied Ashiru said. The multiplier effect of these efforts is that it has created wealth, increase IGR, and started an industrial revolution. This is evident in the average monthly IGR of N4 billion revenue now being generated by the state compared to N730 million when Amosun took over the administration in 2011.

    Ashiru, who disclosed that the state has the largest concentration of limestone in the country, also revealed that of the 28.6 million metric tonnes of cement produced locally in Nigeria, 14 million metric tonnes of this comes from Ogun State. The commissioner further said that in the last 30 months, his ministry has been able to increase its IGR by 1, 282.77 per cent, which he says is an indication that it has been able to identify all sources where revenue can be generated to grow the state.

    Both Amosun and Ashiru are, however, not oblivious of the fact that for the state’s economy to be more vibrant, it must be private sector driven; a factor that the governor said has made his administration to continually provide an enabling environment for businesses and investment to flourish. This is why, according to Ashiru, the administration is pursuing with vigour infrastructural development, whereby construction is on-going in all parts of the state; towns and villages are also being reengineered.

    Yet, it is still not eldorado for the state. This is because there is a need to close some gaps in the areas of large unregulated informal sector and integration of tax planning, urban planning and urban regeneration. “Residence and tax jurisdiction challenges, property audit in urban areas, financial empowerment strategy by issuance of bankable titles (C of O for all houses); beautification by corporate bodies, signage, indirect tax systems, goods and services tax, for example consumption tax for hotels and diversifications – tax and non-tax IGR sources: Warehouse receipt bill; tourism, trans-ECOWAS-trade and industrial development agenda,” Gashinbaki noted as areas to bridge the gap.

    A faculty of renowned business technocrats and investors locally and internationally has been lined up as speakers and panelists for the 2-day forum. The former President of Mexico Mr. Vicente Fox is the keynote speaker. Other speakers are: YB Dato’ Tajuddin Bin Abdul Rahman, Malaysian Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Dr Kandeh Yumkella, former Director-General UNIDO; Mr. Thomas McCallum, International Finance Corporation (IFC); Mr. Uche Orji, Managing Director, Sovereign Wealth Fund among others.

    Certainly, the Ogun State government looks poised to make the state a global investment destination, creating several industrial estates, and the infrastructural base that would encourage both local and foreign investors to come to invest in the state. These include an independent power plant, adequate security, and the roads across the state which are being reconstructed and expanded. And for this, the governor takes delight. “It tells us that we are beginning to grow the economy of our state and that is our vision for Ogun State, where we see a Dubai in the making,” a very optimistic Amosun said.

  • Man burnt to death in Ekiti

    Man burnt to death in Ekiti

    The lynching of a kidnap suspect by an irate mob in Ikere-Ekiti, Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has thrown up issues about the growing tendency among the people to take the law into their hands, SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN reports

    Penultimate Sunday was a particularly bad day in Ikere-Ekiti, Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti State, when an alleged kidnapper and ritualist was apprehended by the people and later set ablaze.

    Time was 7.40 in the morning and the man (name unknown) reportedly in his 40s was sighted by a commercial motorcyclist emerging from a bush located at Eyitayo Housing Estate, Moshood area, Ikere-Ekiti.

    On sighting the man, the motorcyclist was said to have made few frantic calls to residents around the area and the man was promptly arrested. He was said to be carrying, at the time, a black polythene bag containing what was described as a mutilated but fresh body of a boy whose age could not be ascertained.

    The people reportedly forced the man back into the bush to know his actual mission where they saw objects which looked most like fresh human parts covered with fresh blood.

    The mob which had now formed brought him out of the said bush again and then dealt him blows, using all manner of objects, before they took him to the local vigilance group called the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), in the town.

    But they (the mob) reportedly numbering about fifty seized him from the vigilance group, brought him to Odo-Oja main road, stripped him naked and while still in the unconscious state, heaped upon him about ten used tyres, doused all in petrol and in seconds, he was up in flames.

    An eye witness had said the man had earlier been handed over to the Oodua Peoples Congress in the belief that they would ‘deal’ with him but “they schemed to protect and shield him.”

    “We were looking at them after he had been handed over. We expected he would be tortured but they (vigilance group members) did no such thing. They kept him there and wasted our time. At a point we got angry and we moved in and took him to the main road close to a bank and burnt him.

    “Just last week, a kidnapper escaped here in this town with some collusion and support among certain elements. We did not want that to happen again. To catch a kidnapper and allow him to escape is the worst thing that can happen in a community. That criminal would return to perpetrate worse crime,” the eyewitness said.

    While investigations are currently ongoing to bring perpetrators to justice and discourage a repeat of the act, The Nation investigations revealed that criminal activities like that were not unique to Ikere alone, other towns in Ekiti State, including Igede and Omuo have lately recorded such occurrences as well.

    In Omuo-Ekiti, a 12-year-old girl sent by her mother on an errand was waylaid by suspected relative and killed for ritual purposes.

    According to a source, the girl who was sent to deliver food to her grandmother was pursued and stopped by her mother’s brother as she was returning from her granny’s place. She was said to have been taken to a small house where she was killed and some parts of her body, including her brain removed The Omuo case was generally believed to be a case of ritual killing.

     

    Police reaction

     

    In a swift reaction, the  State Police Commissioner, Felix Uyanna, condemned the burning of the suspect, saying it was unlawful for people to take laws into their hands, adding that “the Command will deal with whoever is found engaging in such.”

    Mr Uyanna, while maintaining that the act “was regrettable and inhuman” said in a statement that the state police command”is dismayed at the ugly incident of mob attack/killing/burning of a yet to be identified citizen at Ikere.

    “The supposed victim of the alleged crime is also unknown and that the flimsy excuse or suspicion of being a kidnapper if allowed is a recipe for anarchy, especially now that a major election is afoot.

    “The Command hereby warns members of the public to desist from taking laws into their hands, rather reports of any incidents of commission of crime or any suspicion whatsoever should be made at the nearest police station as anyone arrested in connection with any lawless act will be made to face the full weight of the law,” Uyanna said.

    While some of the suspects were said to have been arrested and making useful confessions, the fact according to the police remains that residents themselves have to support the police in securing the communities.

    At a recent chat with journalists in the state, the Police Commissioner stressed that security had become everyone’s business and that people have to be interested in who is moving where and at whatever time.

    While residents have continued to condemn the abandonment of Eyitayo Housing Estate, where the man was reportedly found, The Nation findings reveal that the estate used to be the site of a proposed central market when Ise, Emure, and Ilawe were still under Ikere Local Government about thirty-years ago.

    According to a source, “The place at a time was being prepared for a large local market. But the local government failed to implement this before the separation of the council into Ise, Emure, Ilawe and Ikere local government areas.

    A resident around the area said: “We have been having meetings in this place because of the tendency of criminals to use that place (Eyitayo Estate), but most times when decisions are taken, it would not be implemented.

  • Better life for Ibara prison inmates

    Better life for Ibara prison inmates

    Inmates of Ibara Maximum Prison in Abeokuta, Ogun State, were in a joyous mood recently when members of a non-governmental organisation, Human Concern Foundation International (HCFI) and a professional body, Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (MPAN) visited them.

    The visit, meant to give the inmates a sense of belonging culminated in the donation of N5 million worth of materials to them by the two bodies.

    The materials include sewing machines, clippers, foot wears, drugs, toothpaste, rolls of tissue papers, packs of antiseptic soaps, dozens of sponge, blanket, bed sheets, clothing, rosaries and praying mats.

    During the visit, HCFI, a department of The Muslim Congress (TMC) and MPAN delighted the inmates when they paid bail charges on behalf of two inmates.

    HCFI National President, Dr. Ibrahim Oreagba, while presenting the relief materials enjoined the inmate not to lose hope assuring them of better life outside the prison yard.

    Oreagba urged them to stay focused and seek forgiveness from God always.

    According to him, the prison is meant to change inmates untoward behaviour to better personalities, but regretted that the reverse appears to be  the case in Nigeria and some other countries.

    He enjoined government and the security agencies to seek ways of returning the prisons back to a habitable and soul-purification place.

    Government, he said, should emulate the developed nations in making the prison a better place.

    Oreagba promised the inmates of the foundation’s continuous support, describing it as a religious duty.

    President of Pharmacists Association of Nigeria (PAN), Ogun State chapter, Oluwakemi AbdulKabir, admitted that government cannot do it all, hence the need for individuals and organisations to join forces to move the nation forward.

    TMC President, Ogun State chapter, Alhaji Ibrahim Ogunkoya, said the gesture was to create a sense of belonging and responsibility among the inmates, assuring them that they have not been forgotten by the larger society.

    While urging them to be hopeful Ogunkoya advised that they should be conscious of God whenever they regained their freedom.

    He hailed the governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for his efforts and mission to rebuild the state.

    He promised that TMC and other organisations will continue to support government policies and programmes that bring reliefs and development to the state and Nigeria as a whole.

    Head of Medical Unit of the Prison, Alhaji Abdullahi Lawal, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller of Prison thanked the organisations for the initiative.

    He called on other organisations to assist in building a mosque for the inmates, so as to instill morality and fear of God in them.

  • Princes at war over the throne of Oluwo

    Princes at war over the throne of Oluwo

    Fifteen months after the death of Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Asiru Olatubosun Tadese, the kingmakers are not closer to chosing his successor as the ruling houses fight over who will produce the next Oba, ADESOJI ADENIYI reports

    The royal battle over who succeeds the late Oluwo of Iwo, in Osun State, Oba Ashiru Olatubosun Tadese, is threatening to tear the five ruling houses eligible to ascend the throne apart as no fewer than ten princes from three of the royal houses have thrown their hats into the ring.

    The number of the contestants is expected to rise when princes from the two other ruling houses show interest in the throne which became vacant in February 2013, when Oba Tadese joined his ancestors.

    But wrangling among the ruling houses could delay any effort to install Oba Tadese’s successor soon as the princes and princesses continue to dispute the actual number of families eligible to contest the throne in spite of the government putting the number at five.

    Historically, Iwo had three ruling houses namely – Alausa, Adegunodo and Gbaase. But with the amended of 1988 Chieftaincy Declaration, the number was increased to four with the carving out of Ogunmakinde Ande ruling house from Alausa ruling house. And by this declaration the throne of Oluwo of Iwo was to be rotated among the four ruling houses in the following order: Adegunodo, Gbaase, Alausa and Ogunmakinde Ande.

    So, after the demise of Oba Samuel Omotoso Abimbola, from Alausa ruling house who reigned from 1958 to 1982, the next ruling house, the Adegunodo, being the first in the new order of rotation in the Amended 1988 Chieftaincy Declaration produced the immediate past Oluwo, Oba Asiru Olatubosun Tadese.

    And following the demise of Oba Tadese last year and the need to appoint a new Oluwo of Iwo, the expectation is that the Gbaase ruling house, being the next in line of succession would be asked to produce the next Oba for the ancient town, but this does not seem to be the case as a fifth ruling house, Tadese, introduced in 2008, by the previous administration has thrown that arrangement off balance.

    The Amended 2008 Chieftaincy Declaration during the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration which approved Tadese ruling house, carved out of the Adegunodo, altered the order of succession/rotation as follows: Tadese, Adegunodo, Gbaase, Alausa and Ogunmakinde Ande. The then state government in a letter dated February 21, 2008, and signed for the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development by K.A. Adesina, communicated the approval of the new declaration by the Executive Council to the Iwo Local Government.

    In the letter, the state government requested that the local government inform the concerned ruling houses to endorse the declaration within twenty one days as stipulated by the law. But in reaction to the declaration, three of the ruling houses namely Gbaase, Alausa and Ogunmakinde Ande went to court to challenge the declaration, particularly the rotation order in suit no: HIW110/210.

    In the suit, Ganiyu Adio, Azeez Adio of the Adegunodo ruling house, Olasunkanmi Olawuyi of the Tadese family, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Commissioner for Local Government and the chairman of the Iwo Local Government and the then Oluwo, Oba Ashiru Olatubosun Tadese were defendants.

    Three years after Governor Rauf Aregbesola assumed office in November, 2010, Oba Tadese passed away and the race for his replacement began among the ruling houses. Initially, appeals were made to the state government to kick start the process. Some indigenes of the town even organised peaceful protests at different times to create public awareness on the town’s plight without a king. Many appealed to the fourteen kingma-kers including the Oosa, Aro, Balogun, Oloya, Jagun, Olukotun, Odofin, Olukosi, Onju, Orunto, Asape, Agoro, Olosi and Esiki, to expedite action, but the kingmakers insisted the issue was beyond them.

    Even, before the death of Oba Tadese, the state government told the ruling houses that took the matter to court to withdraw the suit on the rotation which they did through their lawyers, Emmanuel Abiodun and Co., who filed a notice of discontinuance order in the High Court, Iwo Judicial Division on April 2, 2012.

    When the resumption of the process reached a deadlock, many prominent indigenes of the town, including Asiwaju of Iwoland, Barrister Adedeji Gbadegesin, the Ekerin of Iwo, Chief Bayo Aremu, Alhaji Lateef Katayeyanjue and others mandated the ruling houses to go and resolve which particular ruling house should fill the vacant stool of Oluwo within ten days.

    The Nation learnt that on June 27, 2013, Gbaase, Alausa, Ogunma-kinde Ande ruling houses and Tadese family of Adegunodo ruling house held a meeting chaired by Alhaji Lateef Katayeyanju, a respected community leader at the Oluwo Palace. At the meeting, the participating ruling houses resolved that the 1988 Amended Chieftaincy Declaration be used for the  process through which the new Oluwo would emerge. They also resolved that the rotation order in the declaration which approves four ruling houses: Adegunodo (from which immediate Oluwo, Oba Tadese got to the throne), Gbaase, Alausa and Ogunma-kinde Ande be used.

    So far, no fewer than ten princes from three houses have shown interest in the vacant stool.  From Adegunodo, Femi Adebayo and Azeez Adio, father of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), under Oyinlola administration and clearing and forwarding magnate, have shown intention. A Professor of Mathematics and Provost of the Post Graduate College of the Osun State University, Wasiu Gboladage, from Ogunmakinde Ande is also in the race.

    Seven contestants are from the Gbaase ruling house, believed to be the next to produce the Oluwo. They are Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, a Defense contractor and Canadian industrialist, Uthman Abdulsalam Akanbi; a university lecturer at Alkimah Islamic University, Ilorin, Adio Omotoso Adedapo; a retired teacher, Nafiu Isiaka Alani; Lagos-based, Ashiru Kazeem Adewale; a bakery operator, Jolaoye Sobaloje and Konigbagbe Abioye; both teachers. Of all those fighting to become the next Oluwo, only Prince Azeez Adio, contested with the late Oluwo Oba Ashiru Olatubosun Tadese, in 1992.

    As the town remains without a monarch more than a year after the late Oluwo passed on, the issue of the order of rotation remains contentious. The other three ruling houses except, the Adegunodo, which produced the immediate past Oluwo and from which the Tadese ruling house was created following the 2008 Chieftaincy Declaration, are opposed to present rotation order. They are asking for the rationale behind amending the chieftaincy declaration which they said was meant to be reviewed at fifty years interval. They said the tradition and the process of selecting the Oluwo should be sacred and bigger than any indigene of the town.

    The three houses are asking the appropriate authorities to take time to understand the dynamics, culture and tradition of Iwo in reference to Oluwo stool. They insisted that “social injustice must not be allowed to thrive in Iwo in order not to create an atmosphere of hatred among the people.” Even with the amendment of the 1988 chieftaincy declaration, they said the Adegunodo which produced the immediate past Oluwo must not be the one to produce the next Oluwo. They faulted the rotation order in the 2008 chieftaincy declaration which puts the newly created Tadese  ruling house first followed by Adegunodo, Gbaase, Alausa and Ogunmakinde Ande. They are also saying that the tussle if not handled well and urgently could put Iwo behind among communities in Osun State.