By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
ABEOKUTA –Operatives of the Nigeria Police attached to Itori Division, Ogun State on Tuesday arrested PUNCH newspapers correspondent in the state, Bankole Taiwo, and seized his phone which doubled as part of his work tools.
The operatives who detained him for some minutes at their station were allegedly acting on the instruction of the Olu of Itori, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Fatai Akamo, who ordered them to arrest and detain the journalist.
It was learnt that Bankole Taiwo touched – off the ire of the monarch when he inquired into a trending video where one Sanni Babatunde Akeem, a physically challenged person accused him and another monarch, Oba Kayode Sodimu, of land – grabbing, according to PUNCH.
Akeem, walking with crutches in the video, had alleged that Oba Akamo and Sodimu invaded his vast farmland with thugs, thoroughly beat his workers and brought in a caterpillar to clear the land.
The physically challenged man in the four-minute video said, “I am Sanni Babatunde Akeem. It was my workers who called me that some people had invaded my farmland with about 40 thugs and a caterpillar.
“They claimed to have been working for the Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo, and Oba Kayode Sodimu. They beat my workers and tore their clothes because they said that they were making videos of what they were doing on the farmland.
“They attacked me too and tore my clothes, and this is all I have been operating since 2014. I have fish ponds here likewise piggery, poultry, and where I planted yam among other farming activities.
“I consider this as an attempt to be cheated. So, the Ogun State Government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and our representatives in government must come to my aid.”
However, during a press conference to herald the 21st coronation anniversary of the royal father at his palace yesterday, Bankole Taiwo seized the opportunity to ask Oba Akamo for his own version of the story to the viral video.
The journalist claimed that the royal father who had begun narrating all that he knew about the viral video suddenly changed his countenance when asked about the other royal father mentioned in the video.
The palpably livid Oba Akamo roared, “What do you mean? This boy was sent here. Police arrest him and take him to your station.”
The Daily Crucible gathered that his colleagues who were present at the event tried to beg the royal father, but he insisted on the police taking the journalist to their station and detain him there.
However, The Daily Crucible learnt that after spending about some minutes behind the counter in the police station, the police got another call from the palace and returned the journalist to the palace where the police handed over his seized phone to him.
The Daily Crucible learnt that the police operatives, who said they were “obeying order,” also compelled the journalist to delete all that he had recorded at the palace about the monarch before he was allowed to leave the place.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Ogun Command of the Nigeria Police Force, CSP Omolola Odutola, stated that nobody had yet reported the incident from Itori/Ewekoro division.
