My Life Is In Danger, Ife Monarch Cries Out, Accuses Police, Ooni’s Chiefs Of Perpetual Harassment

Olojudo of Ido-Ife, Oba Sikiru Adeyeba has urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali to investigate the role of Osun State Police Commissioner, Olawale Olokode, some of his officers over needless harassment and intimidation meted to him.

He added that the state police command has allowed itself to be turned to an instrument of humiliation by some Chiefs within the Ooni of Ife’s palace because his (Oba Adeyeba) dispute with Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi over land and chieftaincy matters, saying his life is under threat from faceless persons trailing him.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, Oba Adeyeba said the Osun State Police Command invited him for a “peace meeting”, following a petition purportedly written by some Chiefs in Ooni’s palace, however, the said petition was said to have disappeared after writing the police for a certified true copy of the document.

Also, petition authored by Barrister Edmund Biriomoni on behalf of Oba Adeyeba, titled, “Petition of Complacent against the Commissioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode, Officers of the Nigeria Police and the conspiracy of some unscrupulous faceless antagonist of HRM Oba Sikiru Adeyeba, (Olojudo of Ido-Ife, Osun State.)”, dated December 20, 2021, a copy which was obtained by Vanguard, wondered how a petition said to have disappeared on October 25, 2021, resurfaced in Lagos when the petitioner was later invited to the General Investigation Section of the Nigeria Police Alagbon over the same matter.

It reads partly “Sometimes in September 2021 our client received a Letter of invitation dated 30th of September, 2021 signed one SP Afolabi Sunday directed by the Commissioner of Police for an interactive/peace meeting in his office at the Police Headquarters off-Road, Osogbo on Monday 4th October, 2021.

“Our Client as a law-abiding citizen and a royal father honoured the letter of invitation by appearing before the SP Afolayan Sunday who informed him of a petition against him wherein he made several statements under caution and his movement was restrained for hours. However, the Police failed in all totality to find and/or establish any offences(s)against him as alleged by his faceless and busy body persons who have later identified chiefs of Ooni of Ife.

“That their allegations bother on the fact our client lacks the power to confer Chieftaincy title within his domain to celebrate his 50 years which is purely civil matter. Our client thereafter applied for a certified true copy of said petition written against him vide a letter dated 18/10/2021 and the same was received by the Commissioner of Police on the 18th of October, 2021.

Our client thereafter met and complained to the Commissioner of Police on the 25th of October, 2021 that he was yet to be given the certified true copy who requested for the case file but was told that the case file was missing.

“That our client was advised by the Commissioner of Police to be patient.

But despite all efforts of our client to obtain the certified true copy of the petition from Sp Afolayan Sunday as requested proved abortive which became apparent that SP Afolayan Sunday the officer in charge of SIB, Osun State command does not want to release the said Petition on the instructions of the Commission of police on reasons best known to them.

“That on the 16th of November,2021 I wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission while I also instructed my counsel to also write to Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission against the Commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode for his refusal to release the certified true copy of the said petition on request.

“That while our client was still awaiting your response on the above letter received another letter of invitation directing him to attend another scheduled interview sessions on Thursday 9th December 2021 which did not disclose any alleged offences the reason why he should attend said orchestrated interview session or disclosed the identities of the so-called petitioners with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, General Investigation Section, Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.

“That the persistent persecutions and the incessant invitation letters our client is not unconnected with the several Chieftaincy and Land cases he instituted against the Ooni of Ife.

“That they decided to use the instrumentality of the Police which became a willing tool in order to stop the birthday celebration and restrain him from conferring Chieftaincy title on a worthy son of Ido-Ife land by concocting the spurious and baseless allegation in order for the Police to restrain the movement of our client and stop the programme”.

However, spokesperson to Ooni of Ife, Comrade Moses Olafare discarded the claims against the palace saying the Olojudo was dethroned by late Ooni Olubuse Sijuade for various offences.

“Ooni Adeyeye, had about six years ago, had attempted to magnanimously reverse the dethronement when some palace chiefs came up with more outrageous offence against him, thereby stalling the process and that was the last time we heard anything about him. He is free to vent his grievances but I am not aware of any cases against the Ooni from him”, Olafare said.

Attempt to reach police proved abortive as the Public Relations Officer of the Osun Command is not reachable.