Ekiti: Youths Chase Female Monarch Out Of Town With Stones, Cudgels

Youths of Agbado community in Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, along with some of their elders have chased the regent of the community identified simply Bolaji Okunbobabe out of the palace of the Owa Oro.

She was alleged to have been irregularly appointed as the regent by just one of the 16 chiefs that they claimed were supposed to have done that.

The Public Relations Officer of the Agbado youths, Mr Sanya Adeoti, popularly known as Napoli, told the Nigerian Tribune on the telephone that following the demise of the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Okunbobade, on March 19, “we just woke up to learn that a Regent has been appointed for our town and this is against the tradition of Agbado.”

The youths had taken to the streets to protest the alleged irregular emergence of the regent.

Adeoti said they had written letters to the state’s Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) as well as the police, saying they had staged a protest afterwards in which they blocked a federal highway.

They had blocked the Ado-Ikare road for some hours and claimed that Chief Kayode Adeyeye, had unilaterally chosen Bolaji as Regent, allegedly sidelining 15 other “critical stakeholders”.

After the street protest against what they said was “illegal regent”, they chanted war cry and invaded the palace and chased her and her aides from the palace.

They were said to have been armed with stones and cudgels and other weapons, and forced the regent to flee the palace.

The regent could not be reached at press time while the youths sealed the palace.
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Meanwhile, the community has been thrown into confusion following the alleged taking over of traditional artifacts, shrines and duties of sacrifices allegedly by four kingmakers.

The Olori Omo Owa (head of princess and princesses), Prince Sunday Adelusi, said he was not carried along in the choice of the regent accusing one of the chiefs of impersonating him.