The people of Aiyetoro Community has raised an alarm over the whereabouts of their king, Ogeloyinbo of Aiyetoro, HRH Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi {JP}following his alleged invitation from the State Governor, through Ilaje local government Caretaker committee Chairman to a security meeting.
They demanded that the state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, through the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Ilaje Local Govermnet, Hon. Atikase Otito should produce the monarch to the community urgently.
Speaking for the Supreme Council of Elders and the entire residents of Aiyetoro in a Press Statement made available to newsmen, the Community’s Principal Secretary, Mr. Ademolu J. Atimishe said all they knew was that the governor and the Commissioner of police through the Caretaker Chairman invited the monarch to a security meeting which the king honoured.
Meanwhile it could be recalled that the Ondo state police command last Tuesday arraigned the monarch, Oba Oluwanbe Ojagbohunmi of Ayetoro Community before an Akure Chief Magistrate Court over an alleged armed robbery.
Ojagbohunmi was said to have committed the offences between January 11, 2018 between 9:00am and 11:00am and between October 7, 2018 till date at Ayetoro Community.
The state CID prosecutor, Olatunji Kazeem told the court that the monarch and others at large armed with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons and conspired to rob five different people of the sum of 1,593,000.
However, the Community said it was strange that the whereabouts of the monarch was not known since Monday 14th January, 2019 and asked the Police, Governor Akeredolu and Atikase to produce the monarch to his subjects hale and hearty.
Here is the full text of the Press statement by the Community:
RESIDENTS OF AIYETORO COMMUNITY, ILAJE CRY OUT FOR THE WHEREABOUTS OF THEIR MONARCH
We want draw the attention of the general public, security agencies and human right activists, that during our 72nd Founders’ Day Anniversary in Aiyetoro community, the king of Aiyetoro, HRH Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi {JP} received a letter of invitation from the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, through the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Ilaje Local Govermnet, Hon. Atikase Otito to “ ILAJE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECURITY COMMITTEE MEETING”.
The content of the letter reads thus:
“As part of his efforts at enhancing continued peaceful co-existence among the people of our state, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has directed that the security committee, Ilaje Local Government meets all the parties involved in the crisis in Aiyetoro community with a view to finding a lasting solution thereto. You are therefore invited to attend the meeting“.
Although, the letter came pretty late at about 11.40 am and the meeting, as stated in the letter, was to be held at 1.00 pm. Nevertheless, as our tradition dictates, during the week of our Founders’ Day Anniversary, the king is not to step out of the community.
However, four (4) members of the Supreme Council of Elders of Aiyetoro were sent to represent the monarch but they were denied access to the venue of the meeting. As a result of this, the meeting, in agreement with the Chairman, Ilaje Local Government and Security Committee (The Police, The Navy, The Army), re-scheduled the meeting to Monday 14th January, 2019 by 12.00 noon.
Being a peace-loving person, HRH Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi [JP], left Aiyetoro to attend the re-scheduled meeting at the Naval Officers Mess, Igbokoda. Though, there was no meeting held as scheduled because the other party involved did not honour the invitation.
Thereafter, the DPO, Divisional Headquarters, Igbokoda, Mr. Oladapo Williams persuasively lured our king to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, whom the DPO claimed had been wanting to see him (our king) and since then we are yet to see or hear from him (our king).
In the light of this, the Supreme Council of Elders and the over 40,000 residents of Aiyetoro Community demand for the whereabouts of our monarch, HRH Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi [JP], the Ogeloyinbo of Aiyetoro Community and the Spiritual Head of The Holy Apostles’ Church, from the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN; Chairman, Ilaje Local Government, Hon. Atikase Otito; Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr, Gbenga Adeyanju and the DPO, Igbokoda, Mr. Oladapo Williams.
Speaking for the Supreme Council of Elders and the entire residents of Aiyetoro is Mr. Ademolu J. Atimishe (Principal Secretary)
