The Osi-Olubadan of Ibadanland, Sen Rashidi Ladoja has said that the hoodlums who invaded the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, yesterday can be said to have been sent by some people.
Gunmen had attacked guests at the Popoyemoja palace of Oba Adetunji, shooting sporadically. Ex-Secretary to the State Government, Oloye Sharafadeen Alli, journalists and others who were few kilometres away from the palace, escaped death by luck.
Ladoja, Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin and other guests who were seeted inside the palace were initially unaware of the commotion outside as music blared.
According to the former governor in an interview with reporters, “The hoodlums that just invaded the palace can be said to have been engineered by some people. I don’t understand why people refuse to follow the normal procedure. If you think that something is wrong, go to court.
“I saw the advertisement in the paper today (yesterday) whereby they are challenging the power of Olubadan to install new baales. If they feel bad about it, they should go to court. They should not start creating fear into the minds of people.
“There is nobody that has got the exclusivity of violence. But we normally prefer to do our things in a legal way. The courts are there. They should try to go to the court if they feel that what Olubadan is doing is illegal.
“Let me remind you that Olubadan-in-Council is an advisory body to the Olubadan. If you are supposed to advise somebody, he has a right to accept your advice or reject it. So, I don’t understand why people cannot just follow the simple decorum. I don’t understand why people will take laws into their hands by sending hoodlums into this place.”
Ladoja, who is one of the nine members of the Olubadan-in-Council, also said on the security of the palace: “Well, the palace is safe because look at the number of people outside, are they going to kill them? They are not going to kill them. Did they wait when they came? They just shot into the air just to scare people. They know that Olubadan is loved by the people of Ibadanland and if they are revolting against the Olubadan, that is their own headache; they can go to court.
“We know definitely well that we can say in some cases that the judiciary is not living up to their call. So, it’s unfortunate because this issue should not be allowed to linger long because I have been in court since May, and yet the case has not started.”
Meanwhile, Oyo State Commissioner of Police Abiodun Odude said his men reported that some gunmen in a Toyota Sienna Bus passed by, shooting into the air but that there was no injury or death.
The commissioner, who did not say if any arrest had been made, vowed to get to the root of the matter.
He said: “I got a report from my men who were around in the area. A report was lodged at the Mapo Police Station. The report had it that some men in a Toyota Sienna bus passing by were shooting into the air but that there was no injury or death.”
When asked if any arrest had been made, the police boss said: “We are investigating.”
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