Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun
Scores
of angry youths on Saturday went on the rampage in Ayetoro, Yewa North
Local Government Area, Ogun State, following an alleged assault on the
Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun, by 10 village heads, popularly
called baales.
The youths also took to the streets on
Sunday and prevented the opening of the market in the town, while other
businesses were forced to close shops.
The baales allegedly beat up Adelakun, cutting the traditional royal beads off his neck over a chieftaincy disagreement.
The fracas between the baales and
the monarch was said to have occurred at the palace while Adelakun was
making preparations to install the new village head of Ago-Imala, Chief
Olayiwola Ajibola, a move which the village heads allegedly opposed.
Our correspondent learnt that there had been a tension between the baales
and the monarch over his installation of two village heads in the Saala
community, which boiled over on Saturday when Adelakun moved to
formalise Ajibola’s headship of Ago-Imala community.
A resident, who pleaded anonymity, explained that the village heads had requested a meeting with the Oba.
He said, “When the monarch entered his palace for the meeting, the aggrieved baales refused
to pay him the traditional homage and instead told him that they no
longer recognise him as the traditional ruler of the town.
“One of the baales moved to forcibly remove the royal beads from the monarch, but his (monarch) resistance led to the fracas in the palace. The baale beat him up.”
It was learnt that some youths of the
community learnt of the assault on the monarch, they rushed to the
palace and descended on some of the baales, who were still in the palace.
PUNCH Metro was told that the state Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, later led his men to restore normalcy in the area.
Our correspondent, who visited the town
at about 2.00pm on Saturday, observed bonfire made by the aggrieved
youth, who protested the alleged assault on the monarch.
At the Orile Saala Road residence of the
monarch, our correspondent was told that the monarch had lost his voice
allegedly due to the assault.
However, the Baale of
Ayinbo-Ayetoro, Chief Ezekiel Ogundele, who spoke on behalf of the
embattled monarch, alleged that his aggrieved colleagues had planned to
dethrone Adelakun.
Ogundele said, “They said Kabiyesi disgraced them in Abeokuta and they will retaliate by removing him as the king of the town. There are two baales in Saala and the baales wanted the two offices merged, but Kabiyesi disagreed, saying he was the one that installed both of them.
“This did not go down well with the aggrieved baales who vowed to deal with the Kabiyesi by removing him.
“When the baales got to the
palace, they did not pay homage and when the monarch asked them why
they failed to pay the homage they said the Kabiyesi had been removed as
the king.They were about 10 in number.
“Some of them tore the traditional beads
of the king and beat him up. All of them had held a meeting where they
planned on how to attack the king and they acted the script. As they
were beating the Kabiyesi, the Kabiyesi urged his people not to touch them. Later the police came and took them away.”
The state Police Public Relations
Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, said that 19 Baales
were involved in the crisis.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, added that only one person was injured in the violence.
He said, “Baale Keesan assaulted
the monarch by removing the beads from the king. The youth in the area
reacted, but the prompt intervention of policemen saved the day and only
one person was injured.
“The Olu of Ilaro and Yewa Traditional
council have intervened. So, there is no need of arrest. The Olu of
Ilaro has intervened and normalcy has been restored in the area.”
PUNCH
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