The Oyo state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria took protest to the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemil over land tussle between the association and other parties in the town.
According to The PUNCH, the Christian body alleged that Oba Adeyemi had sold parts of its 96 plots of land at Ayetoro to some investors.
The religious group said several aborted proposed meeting with the monarch by the Oyo town chapter of CAN, have been abortive.
In a chat with The PUNCH, an executive member of the Oyo Zone CAN, Reverend Femi Afolabi, said the Christian association took to the street in Oyo town in protest against his (Alaafin) roles in the land tussle.
Afolabi told The PUNCH that the matter got to a head when some of its members who were on inspection of the property were attacked by some hoodlums who were believed to be land grabbers.
“On Sunday, the 5th of July, the entire body of Christ in Oyo land, comprising Afijio, Oyo East and West and Atiba local government areas, marched from Isokun Baptist Church to CAN land in Ayetoro scheme. We came back through the palace to Isokun. The protest match is predicated on the fact that the land belongs to CAN.
“Having been allocated to us by the Atiba Local Government Area, we got information that kabiyesi, the Alaafin of Oyo, is selling the land. We made several approaches to him formally and informally to let him know that we have document for the land, but he did not allow dialogue to prevail. That was why CAN decided to let the whole world know that he wants to use his royal stool to cheat CAN; that was why we protested.
“He gave us an appointment at a time. I can’t remember the date now and all the head of churches in the land were there with the CAN executive members, including bishops.
“On getting there, everybody waited for more than one hour, he didn’t show up. He sent a message that he had a visitor from Abuja.
“We told the people whom he sent to us that if he wanted to see us he could call us but he never called till date. It was like a slap on the entire church.
“We want the whole world to know that Alaafin is trespassing on the land of CAN and it is dangerous for any man to collide with God. Anybody who is paying money to Alaafin to buy the land is wasting his money. It is not Alaafin’s land but government scheme,” the medium quoted Afolabi as saying.
The Media Secretary to Alaafin, Mr Bode Durojaye, said he had yet to brief the monarch on the issue.
The Oyo CAN claimed that the association procured the land from the former Oyo Local Government Council Area before the breaking of the old council into four in the 90s, alleged that the monarch “surreptitiously sold some patch of the property to other parties” without being authorised to do so.
