Ayetoro community appeals for release of Community leaders.

The people of Ayetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, have appealed to governor Rotimi Akeredolu, to intervene in the leadership crisis rocking the coastal community and release the leaders of the community who have been remanded in prison custody.

The people of the community specifically alleged some government officials of fuelling the crisis in the land against the age-long tradition of the people of the community.

In a letter written to the governor by the Supreme Council of Elders and signed by the Secretary, Mr. Johnson Atimishe, the people pleaded for the release of their monarch, the Ogeleyinbo of Ayetoro, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, from prison.

The people stated in the letter that “this is a passionate appeal and a clarion call to the governor of Ondo State, Arakurin Rotimi Akeredolu to immediately intervene in the leadership crisis rocking Ayetoro community in Ilaje,”

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The monarch, alongside the Baba Ijo and Public Relations Officer of the Community, Mr. Lawrence Lemamu and Victor Akinluwa respectively, have been arrested and detained at Olokuta Maximum Prison since January.

They lamented that the Micah Ajijo faction, who did not enjoy the support of the people of the entire community has been using his influence in order to install him as the Ogeleyinbo, saying this led to intimidation of the residents of Ayetoro.

Atimishe alleged some senior members of Akeredolu’s cabinet of imposing Ajijo “even when the elders and the entire people of the community had unanimously ordained and crowned Oba Ojagbohunmi Oluwambe.

“These unscrupulous interfering politicians who are head-bent on destroying our age-long traditions, are said to have been promised huge sums of money meant for the community from oil spillage compensation.”

The elders disclosed that the people of Ayetoro had been patient for long because they believed that Governor Akeredolu was not aware of all the impunity perpetrated by members of his cabinet.

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They stated that “since this crisis broke out, our people have suffered unlawful arrests, detentions without trial, sponsored attacks by hoodlums and unknown soldiers attacks with many maimed casualties and damaged properties.

“The injured had reported severally to police without a single investigation or arrest, many petitions have been written by our lawyers over these injustices, all to no avail. Instead, the victims are the ones being hunted by the police.”

They, however, called on human rights group, civil liberty groups, traditional rulers in the state and Yorubaland to urgently come to their rescue of the people of the Ayetoro coastal community

“Save our community and its Godfearing people from the hand of a few who are poised to destroy the unity and beauty of this theocratic community, the first of its kind in Africa. Release our King now.”