•Chief Osoba
The Baale Afon community in Ogun State, Chief Elijah Oluwole Osoba, has called on the Ogun State Police Command to investigate the alleged threat to his life and office by the Oluwo Itoku, Chief Olusoji Sodamola.
It was learnt that a case of harassment and molestation was reported against Chief Sodamola at Obafemi Owode Divisional Police Headquarters by the Baale of Afon, Chief Osoba.
He is therefore asking the Police not to allow the matter to be swept under the carpet, given the personality that was allegedly involved in the molestation, wondering what could have become of him today if something untoward had happened to him from the Oluwo Itoku and his accomplice.
Disclosing the series of events leading to the sourly relationship between the two, Chief Osoba claimed that shortly after the Oluwo Itoku had sighted him under a canopy in Oba village during the recent Lisabi festival, the Oluwo Itoku sent Chief Monsuru Adio, the Baajito Itoku and Chief Saidi Ogunbodede, the Otunbade Itoku to invite him over to see the Oluwo Itoku by the road side and he (Baale Afon) obliged.
This it was gathered, happened shortly after the the Alake and traditional Chiefs’ visit to Lisabi forest as part of the activities that marked this year’s Lisabi festival.
However, when he honoured the invitation and arrived at the agreed location, he claimed that the Oluwo Itoku declared him removed as Baale of Afon on the grounds that he was allegedly one of the people that had taken him(Oluwo Itoku) to Court over Igbo Itoku and related matters.
Chief Osoba alleged further that the Oluwo Itoku directed his chiefs to strip him of the beads on his neck, also removed the beads in his car, and the car’s plate number, lamenting that in the process, he lost the sum of N300,000:00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) he kept in the car to hoodlums, who took the money away.
The Daily Crucible learnt that some people, including Chief Sodamola, had appeared before the Owode Egba Police Division on Saturday 18th February, 2023 in connection with the incident.
It was further gathered that the people were however released on administrative bail to Chief Semiu Adeosun, the Apesin Itoku even as they were also asked to report on Monday this week but the chief and others, it learnt, failed to report at the Police division while the complainant showed up.
However, it was learnt that the Executive Chairman, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Chief Sina Ogunsola, had wadded into the matter by inviting the waring parties to his office with a view to resolving the matter amicably soon.
