Village heads beat up monarch over chieftaincy disagreement

 

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.”