The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, on Friday, pronounced the suspension of one of the Ibadan mogajis, Chief Olawale Oladoja.
Oladoja, who is Mogaji Akinsola, had been in the eye of the storm after supervising the sealing of several houses in Alaja Phase One, Alaja Phase Two, Isagunna and Aponmode areas in Akinyele local government area of the state, on Wednesday.
Oladoja had defended himself saying the Akinsola family acted in effecting a court judgement it got in 2021, affirming that Akinsola family as the real owner of the land was out to take back its land.
However, the affected residents had on Thursday staged a protest to the State Secretariat seeking intervention of the state House of Assembly and the state government just as they also went to the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan in protest.
A statement by personal assistant (Media) to Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola, on Friday, indicated that Oladoja was suspended as Mogaji following what was described as his dastardly activities in Akinyele local government area of Oyo State.
In effecting the said court judgement, Oladoja put several houses under lock and key and red-marked them.
The action threw the residents out of their houses, leading some of them to sleep in the open throughout the night following which they protested at the Olubadan Palace on Thursday.
Following the impasse, the Olubadan on Friday summoned an emergency meeting which had in attendance the Olubadan, some members of his Advisory Council, representatives of Ibadan Mogajis led by Chief Asimiyu Adepoju Ariori, Mogaji Akinsola and the representatives of the residents where the decision to suspend the Mogaji was taken.
The statement held that three communities, Akinsola, Aponmode and Labinkulu were actually affected by the action with the other two communities as represented by Baale Aponmode, Dauda Bolarinwa Aponmode and Morufu Raufu relaying how they were recruited by Mogaji Akinsola to join him in reclaiming the land from the landlords and how they turned him down.
In his presentation, Mogaji Akinsola told the monarch and members of the Advisory Council that he made several attempts to resolve the matter before he decided to take action.
He disclosed that the matter was also reported to the palace and moves were made to intervene but he didn’t wait for the conclusion of the palace intervention before he approached the security agents for the execution of the court judgment that gave his family the right of ownership of the disputed land.
According to the statement, the Ashipa Olubadan, Oba Biodun Kola-Daisi read the riot act on behalf of the Olubadan Advisory Council thus: “Several facts were established here today and they pointed to the fact that Mogaji Akinsola didn’t follow the code of conduct usually handed down to both Mogajis and Baales when appointed.
“In this instance, the case was already in the palace, but, did you inform the palace before the police was invited? Your action inconvenienced, embarrassed the Olubadan stool and the Ibadanland. You crossed the line and the Council has decided that you be suspended as Mogaji.
“You are also ordered to tender public apology to the people inconvenienced.
“You defied Olubadan, took laws into your hands by going ahead to take such drastic decision. This will serve as a deterrent to others who fail to appreciate and recognize the responsibility their position as either Baale or Mogaji entails. Your suspension will last for as long as it takes to resolve the problem you have created.”
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