Lagos Community At War With Traditional Ruler
The leaders of Okegun-Odofin in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State have accused the paramount ruler of Ibeju-Lekki Kingdom, Oba Olusegun Salami and the Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Salawu Folami, of attempting to create a new village Okegun-Ladeseso illegally in the community.
The leaders threatened that if the move was not stopped, they could not guarantee peace in the area soon. They also said that there was a plot by the two leaders, to use an impostor, one Mufutau Olamiji, a former personal assistant to the Monarch, who already parades himself as the Baale of Okegun Ladeseso to present as the new Oba of the community.
By that move, they would topple the Baale of Okegun Odofin, Chief Ismaila Ogunkoya, who has been the head of the community since 2008.
Problem started in the area around 2013, when Olamiji, requested for a piece of land in the community through the monarch. The appeal was granted by Ogunkoya.
Olamiji, who they claimed was not from their community, built a house on the land, close to the Okegun-Odofin water front and gradually established a palace in the area.
He, allegedly with the Oba named the area, Okegun-Ladeseso
An elder brother of Ogunkoya, Chief Shamsudeen Ogunkoya, said that there was no area in their community known as Okegun-Ladeseso.
He insisted that Olamiji was not a member of the community.
He said: “My brother, who is the Baale of this community has a cordial relationship with the Oba and has contributed immensely to the wellbeing of this community. I am surprised that the Oba could plot with certain people to install and force another person against my brother. To the best of my knowledge, if the plot is not checked immediately, the consequences might be disastrous.”
The head of the Ogunkoya family, Alhaji Wasiu Ogunkoya, also accused the Oba and Folami as being behind the crisis.
He said that the coming of Olamiji was the root of the crisis.
“We made several payments to the Onibeju of Ibeju land whenever any land is sold as a way of paying homage to paramount ruler within the Ibeju Lekki Community.”
He pleaded with the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to urgently intervene in the crisis before it escalates.
The matter has reached Lagos State House of Assembly but nothing has come out of it.
The community has also written a petition to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs since June 17,2016, through a lawyer.
Oba Salami, who admitted that the tussle was over the sale of land and control of the waterfront, said the Ogunkoyas were being selfish and greedy.
He said that he installed and crowned both Ogunkoya and Olamiji but in different zones. He explained that both of them wrote application for upgrading of their positions from Baale to Oba, which he was still working on.
“Again, they both have the right to upgrade to Oba and they have paid the necessary dues. It is also possible for both of them to become Oba in their respective zones. One thing remains certain, I am their father,” he said.
Oba Salami insisted that Olamiji is from the Aladeseso family in the area, who are the first occupants of the land.
Olamiji claimed that it was the Ogunkoyas that were causing trouble in the communities. He said they framed him up, got him arrested and detained at Federal SARS.
He said that his approval from the Lagos State Government was a matter of whom you know. “It is who you know in government. I did nothing to stop his paper but I actually used whom I know to push forward my paper,” he said.
Folami did not pick his calls and did not reply text messages sent to his phone.
