Sagamu land tussle: If anything happens to me, hold Ewusi of Makun responsible — Oniraniken, Oba Adewale Adeniji
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Oniraniken of Iraniken, Sagamu, Oba Adewale Adeniji has said that should anything untoward happen to him and his family, the government and security agencies should hold Ewusi of Makun, Sagamu, Oba Timothy Akinsanya responsible.
The Oniraniken of Iraniken, Sagamu, Oba Adewale Adeniji has therefore demanded for special protection from the police for himself and his entire family alleging that his life and that of his family are now in grave danger owing to some activities that are traceable to the Ewusi of Makun, Sagamu, Oba Timothy Akinsanya.
The traditional ruler stated this at a press briefing held over the weekend at Iperu Remo. In attendance at the press briefing were the members of Osoedu family and two of their lawyers, Barr Babatunde Oshilaja and Barr Kole Oyedele.
Oba Adewale Adeniji explained that at the heart of this unwarranted attack and hostilities is the family expanse of farmland at Okerala around Simawa area, Sagamu measuring about 4,500 acres which an high court sitting in Sagamu had in April 2018 via a judgement declared as belonging to his family, the Osoedu family.
He disclosed that some people had also approached the Court asking that this judgement be set aside but another high court sitting in Sagamu in January 2020 also ruled that the earlier judgement as obtained by Osoedu family as the legal title holder of the vast farmland stays.
Oba Adewale Adeniji said rather than approaching a competent court of jurisdiction to sort out whatever misgivings Oba Akinsanya is having over this Osoedu family land, he has resorted to several arm twisting tactics aimed at circumventing the law and thereby encouraging crisis where ordinarily none should exist.
The traditional ruler said that “Oba Akinsanya had continued to feed the members of the public outright falsehood that the land in question belong to about 14 communities of Makun Sagamu and that I am not only an impostor but that I have also hired landgrabbers from Ikorodu and environs to chase away his people who originally own the land.”
Oniraniken explained that aside sponsoring a petition against him on the said family land before Ogun State House of Assembly, Oba Akinsanya had also mobilised his people for a street protest during when he was called all manner of unprintable names, reports of which were in some national dailies.
He said the recent of such protest was held on the March 31 when people of Makun community as encouraged by their traditional ruler with public address system mounted on a bus took to the street labelling him thief, landgrabbers among others, while he was also given seven days ultimatum to desist claiming the ownership of the farmland or be dealt with.
He explained that “at the expiration of the said ultimatum, precisely in the early hours of Thursday, April 8, some hoodlums scaled the fence into my palace asking of my whereabout but my wife told them that I was not around. They there and then descended on my wife giving her the beating of her life afterwhich they collected phones from other people in the house and also went away with N400,000.
“All these we have reported to the police. Only God knows what would have happened to me on that day but I was in Lagos to answer spurious petition wrote against me by these same people that was before Nigeria Police headquarters at Alagbon and Onikan. The Ewusi and his people have also dragged me before several police formations on many trumped up charges but which the police would later find out that I have done nothing wrong.
“I can no longer walk freely outside there, my life and that of my family is now in danger. It is my belief that what Ewusi has lost in the court of law is what he wants to use brigandage and unnecessary communal strives to achieve. I am now calling on Gov Dapo Abiodun to please intervene now.
“It is so clear now to discerning members of the public that I am not a landgrabber, I have never been involved in landgrabbing because I know its consequences, I am a traditional ruler that is only enforcing my fundamental rights under the law. I remain a man of peace and will never do anything contrary to the law.
“The government can as well set up Judicial panel of inquiry to get the all the facts behind the unbecoming acts of Ewusi of Makun and his subjects. I am also using this medium to request for special protection from the police because I really don’t feel safe again and if anything should happen to me, Ewusi of Makun, Oba Timothy Akinsanya should be held responsible.”
Speaking during the press briefing, one of the family lawyers, Barr. Babatunde Oshilaja condemned the alleged attitude of Ewusi of Makun, Sagamu Oba Timothy Akinsanya warning that except the traditional ruler who he holds in very high esteem retraces his steps, a contemptuous action would be filed against him.
Barr. Oshilaja said “The position of the law is that once a matter is adjudicated upon, all parties involved are to abide by the pronouncement of the court but if you are not satisfied, you go to higher court not that you will resolve to street protest which is nothing but self-help and very contemptuous. Kabiyesi and his people should please be aware that Nigeria is not a banana republic, we are governed by law.”
However, efforts to speak with Ewusi of Makun, Oba Timothy Akinsanya proved abortive but the Acting Secretary of Ewusi-in-Council, Otunba Kayode Howells described the allegations as nothing but figment of imagination of Oniraniken, Oba Adewale Adeniji.
Otunba Howells said, “I can tell you for free that all these allegations are far from the truth, they have just been cooked up to whip up sentiments because Ewusi of Makun that I know is a peace loving traditional ruler and will never for whatever reason be after anybody’s life.”
