Oba Akinruntan Obateru, Ondo State — Residents of Ode Ugbo area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have cried out for help after their houses were invaded and many of them killed by thugs on the instructions of Oba Akinruntan Obateru, the Olugbo of Ugbo.

Findings show that around 2am, 16th April, the thugs arrived the community and started destroying anything within sight including lives and property.

 

This is just like the same situation Ike Isu people are facing, only in their own case, its from neighbouring village.

 

“When they came, they told everybody to move out of their houses at first and that no one must take anything with them,” a resident, who escaped the onslaught, told SaharaReporters.

 

A child, who attempted to flee the carnage, ran into a nearby river and drowned, SaharaReporters gathered.

 

“The thugs attacked women, children and didn’t spare anyone. One of the men who was attacked, his name is Adetomiwa Mafimisebi, he was butchered because the thugs wanted to rape his mother who they chased out naked but he refused and defended his mother,” another resident said.

Obateru was said to have ordered the thugs to attack residents of the community because the houses the victims occupied served as the palace of the former Olugbo and was “affecting Obateru’s reign”.

 

The attack on the community was led by one Bamitale Iwatan, accompanied by Lowo Monday, Ajimosun Oriola, Akinruntan Eniola, Medoye Barnabas, Ogundere Mapamekun, Omojowo Ajagbuna, Omojuwa Ibukun, Ogundere Monday, Abejoye Emaye, and Emiloju, a police officer.

 

“The thugs have refused to leave, they are watching everyone. They tied a white cloth outside the houses which signify control.”

 

“We reached out to the police but they haven’t been able to do anything.”

“At Igbokoda division, they did not allow us write any statements. Our lives are in danger, we want governor Akeredolu to intervene now,” one of the residents cried out.”

 

Curiously, this is not the first time the Olugbo of Ugbo had sent thugs to terrorise a community.

 

In December 2017, SaharaReporters gathered that he sent thugs to ruffle a fellow monarch in Igbokoda under Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo.

 

The thugs were led by the same Bamitale Iwatan, who alongside others, shot sporadically in the air, causing Oba Odidiomo to flee for his life.

 

He was attacked and machete cuts inflicted on him but was taken to a hospital and revived after he collapsed from the severe injuries.

 

Recounting his near-death experience at the time, Oba Odidiomo said, “I came back to Igbokoda in the evening and visited one of the high chiefs of the town to brief him on the development and outcome of the meeting.

“But I had hardly entered the room when Tale Iwatan stormed the meeting with a large number of thugs bearing different arms. They came with cutlasses, knives and guns.”

 

“They shot sporadically into the air to scare away people and I came out to meet about five of them. I immediately called the police in the town but before the policemen could arrive at the scene, which is only a stone’s throw from the Nigerian Naval base in Igbokoda, the hoodlums had mobilised more men and attacked us.”

 

“Those who attacked us were about 20. They surrounded me after injuring others. One of them stabbed me directly in the back of my head after shooting in the air many times.”

 

“As if that was not enough, one of them used a cudgel to hit me in the head.”

 

What has Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu done?

Despite these glaring misconduct by Obateru, SaharaReporters gathered that governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu, has refused to call him to order as a result of the friendship between them.

“The two of them are close friends and perhaps that explains why Akeredolu has been looking the other way over Obateru’s several acts of high-handedness.”

“Akeredolu relies on his support for his second term ambition and that is why he had refused to condemn him openly for using thugs to attack the people,” a traditional ruler in the state said.

 

When SaharaReporters reached out to the Ondo State Police Command over the issue, calls put across to the spokesperson, Tee-Leo Ikoro, went unanswered.

 

In May, 2019, Oba Akinruntan Obateru, claims he is the leader of all Obas in Yorubaland, maybe that’s an additional reason Gov. Akeredolu can’t touch him and any other Oba, caution him, although Aare Gani Adams responded.

That year, he without direction or say from anyone, crowned three men – the Oriade of Georgia, Oba Bernard Shola Akinrimisi; the traditional ruler of Yoruba in Liberia, Oba Omobolaji Ogunkoya, Oodua Gbadewolu I, and the traditional ruler of Yoruba in the Republic of Ireland, Oba Saheed Ibrahim Adufe.

 

At the installation held at his palace in Ugboland, Akinruntan said, “I am ready to crown more kings from the Diaspora as long as I remain the number one king in Yorubaland. I am the custodian of the Yoruba culture.”

 

“I am going to give more Obas in the Diaspora crowns. Many of them will get crowns and staff of office from me and nobody can query me. They know that I’m a special Oba in Yorubaland. My father, Oba Makin Osangangan, is the owner of Ife.”

 

“I am the leader of all Obas in Yorubaland. I speak with thunder in my mouth and I make bold to say so. No one is above me in Yorubaland in as much as it has been accepted that we are from Ife. I am the one that Oduduwa met at Ife.”

“I’m going to celebrate 10 years on the throne; people should go and prepare. I don’t want people to wear suit to my coronation anniversary because I’m a Yoruba Oba. The coronation will be a special celebration because I’m preparing for it and people will come from all over the country to celebrate with me”.

Below is an official statement of report from the victims as posted by someone (Tejumola Mafimisebi @TMafimisebi) who could reachout:

 

JUSTICE FOR THE DEAD AND INJURED resulting from terror attacks ordered by KING OBATERU!!!

At about 3:00 am Thursday 16th of April terror was unleashed on Mrs Femi Mafimisebi, Adetomiwa Mafimisebi, Abimbade Mafimisebi and Idowu Ajimosun their security guard on the property which they occupy in Ode Ugbo area of Ilaje Local Government Ondo State.

 

This is one of the several sinister attacks of Oba Akinruntan Obateru popularly know as Obat against the family of Adebanjo Mafimisebi(deposed Olugbo) carried out by a group of armed men identified to include Bamidele Iwatan, Lowo Monday, Ajimosun Oriola, Akinruntan Eniola, Tejumola Mafimisebi, Meduoye Barnabas, one Emiloju(a.k.a police), Omojuwa Ibukun, Ogundere Mapemekun, Ogundere Monday, Omojowo Ajagbuna, Abejoye Emaye and about 50 other men who mentioned that they were carrying out the instructions of Obat.

The members of the family were woken up by gunshots and before they could run for safety, they realized that the compound was already invaded by the armed thugs who were brandishing all sorts of weapons, some had guns, other axes and matchetes.

 

They harassed and brutalized all the occupants of the property. Adetomiwa who blocked the door to delay their entry and allow others escape through the backdoor had to give in when, he heard one of the men say they should pour petrol and set the house ablaze.

 

Upon entry Adetomiwa was matcheted and axed on the head.  Mrs Femi Mafimisebi was dragged out of her apartment naked, one of the thugs named Eniola tore the only piece of cloth she had on and strangled her until was out of breath.

He also attempted to rape her before one of the leaders stopped him. She was beaten with machete for pleading that her sons be spared. All plea for mercy fell on deaf ears, they pushed them out of the apartment and asked to lie on floor in the compound, they threatened to cut off their legs, before another suggested that they should be burnt alive in one of the buildings. They were already leading them to slaughter, when the leader called for a meeting amongst his members and called them back.

 

The victims were told that their presence in the town was affecting Obat’s reign as ruler and they should never comeback to the property as their tenure as ruling family has expired. The were escorted out of the property after they striped them of all phones and valuables…with strict instructions never to return if they value their lives.

 

While all of this was going on some of the thugs were within town terrorizing villagers, no one could help, everyone was helpless.

The victims were severely dealt with by this daredevils, the brutality meted out to left Adetomiwa defaced with a crack on his skull. Abimbade suffered murderous internal bleeding from the attack, the security Ajimosun Idowu wasn’t spared as well…he was axed and thoroughly beaten before they tied him down. A child was also found dead as a result of this terror attack and a concerned citizen posted about it on Facebook – https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10213204265701473&id=1840713132

We plead with well meaning Nigerians to call on relevant authorities to investigate this attack carried out by Obateru and his army of terrorists. The police from the Igbokoda Division has obviously been compromised as they have refused to assist us.