By: Bola Badmus, Lagos
The Alayandelu of Odo-Ayandelu in Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Aderibigbe Asunmo, has decried activities of cultists in his domain, just as he lamented that not only had cultists crippled both the economy and social activities in his domain, his life was already exposed to danger.
The monarch expressed this concern while speaking with newsmen in his palace, calling on Governor Babajide Babajide Sanwo-Olu and all the security agencies in the state to come to the rescue of the town and save him from untimely death.
“I am calling this conference to let the people of the world, Nigeria and Lagos State know of an attempted assassination on me by some cultists, by some thugs and hoodlums living in Odo-Ayandelu
Oba Asunmo said on several occasions, police had arrested the cultists, but they always returned to the community bigger and stronger, threatening to kill whoever reported them to security agencies.
The monarch, while giving details of unlawful activities of the cultists, recalled the recent incident on February 18, 2023, and having to do with some people harassing traders and compelling them to take the old notes when they had seized to be legal tender in the country.
“So, immediately, I went there to put everything under control. I asked who the team’s leader was, and it was mentioned to me.
“Again, early in the morning on February 19, I was still resting due to the medication I took when my wife came to wake me up and said that the boys were on the rampage again. When I met some of them on the road, I asked them what had happened, but they did not answer.
“When I got to the scene, I noticed that they had set up bonfires on the road, blocked those coming from Sagamu and asked them to turn back; those coming from Agbowa were also turned back.
“I later put the fire under control, and we held two of the boys involved. One of their leaders came out with some bottles and started breaking them before me, injuring many people. He was bragging and saying we would see, then they went behind a house and brought a gun and people ran away. They told me, Kabiyesi, you just have to leave the scene and I said no, doing that would be cowardly.
“Already, I had put a call through to the Nigeria Police Headquarters at Agbowa, and the Commissioner of Police Special Squad at Imota came; when the boys saw them, they escaped into the bush. At the end of the day, the police were able to arrest about two people and took them to the station for interrogation, and they confessed to the crime,” the monarch said.
“I have a policeman attached to me. In fact, I have to thank God that I use my wisdom that day when I was going out, I thought it was just a mere thing not knowing that it was serious. So the policeman was eating at the gate and said should I follow you and I told him not to worry.
“The policeman called me again and asked if he should come and meet me then it had not really turned to violence then, but I told him not to worry. Why I said I thank God for the wisdom God gave me is that let’s say my orderly was there, he would have been provoked to make him to shoot that day? And if he had shot anybody that day, they would say it was kabiyesi police that shot the person. That is why I called the CP’s Special Squad at Imota and the police headquarters at Agbowa to come.
“I am calling on the state government and at the same time calling on the CP the DSS and all security apparatus to come to Odo- Ayandelu because these people are becoming a threat to the entire people of Odo- Ayandelu community,” Oba Asunmo added.
