Prominent Chief Declared Missing In Osun Community As Nigerian Police Plot To Impose Senior Officer As King
One of community leaders told SaharaReporters that the kingship tussle in the community has turned deadly.
Aprominent traditional chief, Olu-Ode, has been declared missing over the lingering kingship tussle causing uproar, disaffection and division at Ido-Osun community in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the leader identified only as Baba Olu-Ode has been missing since on Wednesday.
One of community leaders told SaharaReporters that the kingship tussle in the community has turned deadly.
“The issue has turned deadly, they have been using the police to look for everyone. Even me, as I talk to you now, the matter is tough.”
“Baba Olu-Ode is nowhere to be found since on Wednesday, we don’t know whether Baba has been whisked away. This is while Otunbalogun is still in detention,” the source said.
SaharaReporters had reported how operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested a kingmaker from Ido-Osun community in the Egbedore local government area of Osun State.
The kingmaker, Chief Rasheed Odeyemi, the Otun Balogun of Ido-Osun, was arrested by the police on the alleged orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to impose one of his officers, Superintendent Jokotola Yinka as the future king (Oba) of the town, according to community sources who spoke to SaharaReporters.
According to sources, Superintendent Jokotola is also vying to be chosen as the future Oba of Ido-Osun, and the police force has been intimidating all the kingmakers in the town to force them to unanimously select him as the most qualified candidate without due process.
The Olojudo stool was left vacant following the demise of Oba Aderemi Adedapo on May 17, 2024. He served as secretary of the Yoruba Council of Obas in Nigeria until his death.
“This was why they arrested Chief Rasheed yesterday (Thursday). They said it was an order from the IGP. And when we asked why he was arrested, they only told us a petition was written against him. We requested to see a copy of the said petition, but the police could not provide one,” one of the community sources told SaharaReporters.
The source added that the arrest by the police was clearly intended to influence the kingmakers’ decision to support one of their senior officers, Jokotola, who is also vying for the crown.
“He (kingmaker) is currently being detained at Alagbon Police Station (Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon) in Lagos State. What I learned was that Superintendent Jokotola is a close ally of the public relations officer of the Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi and that he was the one who passed down the order of the police IG to arrest the chief,” another source said.
“The police have also threatened other kingmakers who insisted that due process must be followed in selecting the new king,” another source said.
A statement made available to SaharaReporters by Ido-Osun Youths under its forum, IYF, jointly signed by its President Prince (Comr.) Adeyeye Abass and General Secretary Mr Akano Kamorudeen, accused the police of unlawfully interfering in the ongoing monarchy dispute in the town.
