- Lawyer petitions IGP
- Seeks damages for theft and destruction of properties
Admin l Sunday, August 16, 2020
LAGOS, Nigeria – Members of Okegun Aladeseso Community have sent a save our soul message to members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to return their Baale, Chief Sefiu Mufutua Olamiji.
Chief Sefiu Mutufau Olamiji was intimidated, harassed and evicted from his palace by Baale of Okegun (Odofin family) , Chief Ismailia Ogunkoya using thugs and officers from Akodo Area Police Station and Area J Police Command.
Some members of the community who preferred to be anonymous told our correspondent that they support and appreciate some of the giants strides of the Baale of Okegun Aladeseso within the community and blamed members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for fueling the crisis, by taken sides with the Baale of Odofin against the wish of the people following the outcome of their reports in 2017.
They however pleaded with members of the Lagos House to look at the interest of the people and the good development Olamiji’s reign has brought to the Okegun community.
They said their request falls in line with the policy of the administration of the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajde Sanwo Olu on rapid growth and development of the state, coupled with good governance for the well being and advancement of the good people of Lagos state, Okegun community inclusive.
Going down memory lane, they recalled that Okegun Aladeseso and Okegun Odofin were carved out of Oke Ekun belonging to the Aladeseso Royal family in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos by the late Oba Olusegun Salami who also installed Chief Sefiu Mufutua Olamiji and Chief Ismaila Ogunkoya’ as Baale respectively.
This ,they said has not gone down well with Baale of Okegun Odofin, Chief Ismaila Ogunkoya whose Baaleship was later gazetted much after that of Chief Mufutua Olamiji.
The group who claimed they were speaking on behalf of the community also recalled that Oba Salami admitted in 2017 that the tussle in Okegun was over the sale of lands and control of the waterfront and that the Ogunkoya’s were being selfish.
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In another development ,Olufemi Dafosta Osinowo & Co , solicitor to the Baale of Okegun Aladeseso, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police ( IGP) over what he regards as the unethical method of investigation and unfair treatment meted out to his client, Chief Sefiu Mufutua Olamiji the Baale of Okegun Aladeseso by policeman from Akodo Area Police Station and Area J Police Command over the long existing disputes regarding ownership and control of certain lands in the Okegun Aladeseso community, between the Baale of the community, Chief Sefiu Mufutua Olamiji and the Baale of Okegun Odofin family , Chief Ismailia Ogunkoya.
In the petition, the lawyer noted that Olamiji and his family have been consistently harassed and intimidated by the Odofin family who used thugs and the Akodo Area Police Station and Area J Police Command to forcefully eject his client from his palace.
Barrister Osinowo in his petition also accused the police of unlawfully aiding and abetting the eviction of his client, the Baale of Okegun Aladeseso community from his palace. Osinowo also condemned the manner, policemen acting on the orders of Area Commander, Area J humiliated the Baale of Okegun Aladeseso on the 1st of August, by handcuffing him like a common criminal and making him to walk bare footed from his palace to their station and there after remanded him in their custody till the 2nd of August without giving him access to his lawyer.
The policemen, he said also humiliated the wife of his client and all members of his family, who were also manhandled by the Odofin’s family. He noted in the petition that the invasion of the palace by Odofin family and his thugs with dangerous weapons led to destruction of properties and cash worth millions were carted away.
Osinowo noted that the Aladeseso Royal family has a pending matter against all their customary tenants, including the Ogunkoya’s in which they have obtained an injunction against all defendants in Suit No. IKD /28 /12 between Bayo Arashi & Ors Vs Bashiru Owuye & Ors and that the Ogunkoya’s were 12-14 defendants in the matter.
Osinowo stated that it is surprising that the Ogunkoya’s family have resulted to cheap blackmail using various arms of the media, electronic, print and the social media space to blackmail Olamiji against the people of Okegun community. He is seeking for damages over destruction and theft of properties when the thugs and policemen invaded the community in behalf of his client.
In his petition, Osinowo stated that as part of their heinous plans the Ogunkoya’s have also resorted to reporting and petitioning Olamiji to various police formations and he is being continuously arrested with all manner of charges with a view to silence him and annexing his domain to a non existing Okegun Odofin which ordinarily by history is a bus stop in Ibeju lekki and not a community and that beneficiaries of the Odofin title are not of royal blood in the Ibeju Kingdom history.
