Dappa Maharajah, Akure.
FIFTEEN days away from the palace, people of Aiyetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area have kicked against the unlawful detention of their monarch, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, the Ogeloyinbo of Aiyetoro and Spiritual Head of Holy Apostles Church.
For the record, the people of the community earlier raised an alarm over the mysterious disappearance of the king on Monday January 14, 2019 after he was invited for a security meeting at Igbokoda, the headquarters of the council by the state government.
However, it was gathered that Oba Ojagbohunmi was whisked away to the state police command headquarters, Akure on the order of the Commissioner for Police, Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, and arraigned before before a Magistrate Court the following day.
The people accused the police of colluding with some persons in the community not only to repress but also to terminate the life of their spiritual ruler over a protracted kingship crisis in the theocratic community.
Meanwhile, the monarch, who is also a prophet of the only church in the community, was charged for promoting native war contrary to and punishable under section 42 of the Criminal Code cap 37 Vol, 1 laws of the state, 2006.
He was also accused of malicious damage to property contrary to and punishable under section 451 of the Criminal Code cap 37 Vol, 1 laws of the state, 2006.
Though the counsel to the Police, Olatunji Kazeem, said he was not ready with his witnesses, he pleaded that the accused should be remanded in prison custody.
The counsel to the accused, Olusola Oke, applied for the bail of his client pending the trial in the law court, arguing that the offences were bailable.
While delivering the judgment during subsequent arraignment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Bode Adegbehingbe, granted the accused N1 million bail and two sureties in like sum.
According to the judge, one of the sureties, must be a monarch while the other must be an officer not less than Level 10 in the civil service; and should be remanded at Olokuta Medium Prison.
Drama ensued when a police squad led by an officer identified as SOJ stormed the court premises to whisk the monarch back to police custody in contravention to the remand warrant by the judge.
The Prison officials led by one Fakunle MS said slugged it out with the police officers, who blocked the accessible road to the court and insisted that his boss allegedly ordered him to present Oba Ojagbohunmi either “dead or alive.”
It took the intervention of a senior police officer who made efforts to prevail on the judge with the intent of upturning the order or get reproduction warrant, but Justice Adegbehingbe said he would not rescind his order.
While speaking with journalists in Akure yesterday, the wife to the king, Olori Folashade Ojagbohunmi, lamented that her husband was being victimized and molested by some persons who are using government machinery and the police.
Mrs Ojagbohunmi disclosed that the monarch, who was in police custody for some days, complained of some ailments due to the maltreatment meted on him by the police in their custody, but they refused to allow him go for proper medical attention.
According to her, “The police officer said he was pretending and refused him the right to take care of his health. When the situation got worse, they had to rush him to the Police Hospital in Akure for treatment.”
She narrated further that Oba Ojagbohunmi was whisked out of the hospital bed for another court case by the police. “They refused to allow him finish his treatment till today and never allow him to go back to the hospital.
“It is crystal clear that they are after the life of my husband for no just cause. The police is being used to persecute him and possibly kill him. I appeal to the government at all levels to leave my husband alone, he is innocent of the charges trumped up against him.”
The Principal Secretary of the community, Mr. Ademolu Atimishe, noted that the present persecution of the monarch was borne out of the inordinate ambition of some persons against the tradition of the community.
Atimishe, who spoke on behalf of the Supreme Council of Elders, the highest administrative body of Aiyetoro community, urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to set up an independent enquiry committee to look into the kingship crisis.
“Rather than relying on some unscrupulous persons, we urge Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to investigate the ongoing kingship crisis in Aiyetoro community. The will of the people and God is to have Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi as our Ogeloyinbo.
They, Atimishe and Mrs Ojagbohunmi, also implored the higher police authorities to promptly intervene in kingship crisis, especially to protect the integrity of the police force.
“We call on the acting Inspector General of Police, Adamu Muhammed to promptly intervene in the kingship problem in Aiyetoro, especially on the use of some unscrupulous officers to persecute our monarch by some people.”
Attempts to speak with the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, were to no avail as he claimed the network was bad and he refused to reply the text message sent to him.
—
Akingboye Joseph Oluwaseun
