Kingship tussle: Police arrest 9, recover arms in Ogun

From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

Following last Friday’s crisis which rocked Ijoko town in Ado /Odo Ota local government area of Ogun state in which the palace of the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Lasisi Ogunseye, the  Onijoko  of Ijoko, was set ablaze  by miscreants, men of the Ogun State Command arrested nine suspects in connection with the crisis.

Apart from the palace that was set on fire, properties worth millions of Naira were also destroyed including cars, important documents, the monarch’s crown and clothes, as it was also reported that several people were injured during the fracas.

“Documents, clothes, vehicles including that of Baales that are loyal to Oba Ogunseye were also destroyed. They also went to those Baales houses destroying their properties including cars that were parked in the compound”

“Very important documents, even the king’s crown were burnt. They also injured a palace worker, Kunle. I had to hide somewhere”.

A release by the Command’s image maker, Muyiwa Adejobi which was made available to newsmen noted that “police had embarked on proper investigation by pouncing  on the perpetrators of the crises that lasted for days and arrested nine suspects with arms and ammunition.

The release added that the crisis was brought under control with the efforts of the Area commander in-charge of Ota area Command, ACP Titilayo Kayode and the Divisional Police Officer Ota, CSP Gabreal Idibe.

Adejobi in the release noted that investigation prompted the police teams from the Department of Criminal Investigation, Police Mobile Force, coordinated by the Deputy Commissioner of police in charge of department of operations, Ogun State command, DCP Egberebi Egbuson to conduct search and raids on the palaces and premises of the two disputing rulers, Oba Abdulfatai Matanmi and Oba Ogunseye on December 27, at night time, whereby nine suspects were arrested and 12 locally made single barreled guns, two pump action guns, 191 cartridges, two cutlasses, one axe, charms and masquerade clothing were recovered in the palace of Oba Matanmi and one butt of a locally-made single barreled gun was recovered in the palace of Oba Ogunseye ,who has also been indicted by some suspects arrested in a case of shooting and wounding that occurred at a filing station in Agbado area of Ogun state on December 26, 2014.

The Command has invited the two traditional rulers for interrogation and proper investigation on their involvements in the crises that rocked the area for days.

“The suspects will soon appear in court after the investigation into the matter has been concluded with a view to finding a lasting solution to any act of violence and break down of law and order in the area and other parts of the state”, Adejobi added.