People of Aiyetoro
community, a riverine town in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have
raised an alarm over the sudden disappearance of their monarch, Oba Oluwambe
Ojagbohunmi (JP), the Ogeloyinbo of Aiyetoro.
The residents disclosed
that the monarch left the island town contrary to their tradition on Monday,
January 14, to honour the invitation by the governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,
for a security meeting in Igbokoda, the headquarters of the council.
The Supreme Council of
Elders, the highest administrative body of the theocratic community, lamented
that Oba Ojagbohunmi had been away for two nights without any traces of his
whereabouts.
Speaking with journalists
in Akure yesterday, the Principal Secretary of the community, Mr. Ademolu
Atimishe, decried foul play by some government officials. Atimishe said the
monarch received a letter of invitation from the governor through the caretaker
committee chairman of the council, Atikase Otito, for the security meeting.
The community had been
plunged into kingship tussle since February 2015 after the demise of the fifth
Ogeloyinbo, Oba Asogbon Gad, leading to the closure of the only church in the
community, Holy Apostles Church, for over two years.
However, the Principal
Secretary noted that the invitation came at a time when the entire community
was celebrating its 72nd Founder’s Anniversary, which forbids the king to leave
the palace.
“Although, the letter came
pretty late at about 11:40a.m. dated January 8, the meeting, as stated in the
letter, was to be held at 1:00p.m. 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 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, navy and army), was re-scheduled to Monday, January 14,
by 12noon.”
He pointed out that “being
a peace-loving person, Oba Ojagbohunmi left Aiyetoro to attend the re-scheduled
meeting at the Naval Officers Mess, Igbokoda. No meeting held as scheduled
because the other party involved did not honour the invitation.”
The community urged the
governor, council chairman, and Commissioner of Police to explain the mystery
behind the sudden disappearance of their monarch.
“This is against the
culture and tradition of our land, it is a taboo for the king to be missing for
more than two days without an inkling of his whereabouts, especially this
period when it is customarily forbidden for the monarch to leave the palace.
Several attempts to reach
the caretaker chairman of the council was to no avail as his number rang
without response, while the text message to his phone was not replied as at
press time yesterday.
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