Ten village heads (Baales) allegedly beat up the Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun on Saturday in Ayetoro, Ogun State over chieftaincy dispute. During the melee, Oba Adelakun, who was saved by the police, lost his beads and cap after the aggrieved coronet Obas descended on him.
Daily Sun learnt that there had been no love lost between the village heads and Oba Adelakun over the installation of the village head of “Ago-Imala,” Chief Olayiwola Ajibola.
It was further learnt that the village heads had in the past been canvassing the merging of the two village headship in Saala into one, which did not go down well with Oba Adelakun. It all started when the affected coronet Obas refused to pay homage to Oba Adelakun during a meeting held at the Alaye’s palace earlier on the day of the incident.
An eye-witness told Daily Sun that the traditional ruler was assaulted that he scampered for safety before the arrival of the police, who rescued him and later saved the situation. Baale Ayobo-Ayetoro Ogundele, who spoke on behalf of Oba Adelakun said the Baales had vowed to disgrace and dethrone the monarch over an allegation.
His words: “They said Kabiyesi disgraced them in Abeokuta and they will retaliate by removing him as the Oba of the town,” Ogundele stated, adding, “the bone of contention is that the rebel Baales want Alaye to put one Baale over the other but the Kabiyesi said he would not do this since he installed both of them and issued them certificates.”
“This did not go down well with the aggrieved Baales, who vowed to deal with the Kabiyesi by removing him as Oba.
“On arrival of the Kabiyesi at the venue of the meeting held at his palace, the Baales refused to pay homage to Oba Adelakun as demanded by the culture and tradition of our people. They refused to remove their caps as well as their shoes as the culture stipulates. They were about 10. Baale Keesan, Bashiru Adegbola was the one that removed Oba Adelakun’s cap as well as his traditional beads and later beat him to a state of stupor before the arrival of the police.”
