The Oba-Ile community in Ondo State has accused the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, of encroachment and illegal installation of chiefs in communities under its domain.
At a press conference, the Regent and Oloba-in-Council, led by a former commissioner, Omoniyi Omodara, alleged that the Deji was attempting to annexe Owode, Araromi, Eleyowo, and other settlements despite historical and legal recognition of the Oloba Oodaye as the prescribed authority.
They vowed to resist what they described as expansionist tendencies and warned that further interference could trigger an avoidable crisis.
The community maintained that Oba-Ile predates Akure by several centuries, insisting that the disputed areas are integral to its kingdom.
Omodara cited historical records, including the 1981 Government White Paper on the Morgan Commission and past resolutions of the Ondo State Executive Council, as affirming Oloba’s jurisdiction.
He further claimed that the first Deji, Obagbeyi Adegbite, was maternally linked to the Oloba throne, while also recounting how Oba-Ile allegedly provided refuge for Akure during wars with Benin.
Apart from what Omodara termed unlawful incursion, he also warned the Deji of Akure from further attempts to install chiefs in Owode, Araromi, Eleyowo, Ugoba, or other surrounding settlements, to avoid an invitation to crisis.
The community insisted that the disputed communities are not only part of its traditional domain but were founded entirely by Oba-Ile indigenes, tracing their historical ties through several generations.
Omodara stated that “Oba-Ile kingdom predates Akure by several hundred years. The Oloba Oodaye is second to none and, by history and tradition, is not under the Deji. To attempt to install minor chiefs in our domain is an insult to our heritage and will not be tolerated.
“We affirm without fear of contradiction that Owode, Araromi, and Eleyowo belong to the Sao family under the Oloba.
“Traditional rites were extended to those communities during the transition of our late monarch, Oba Joseph Oluwadare Agunbiade Otutubiosun III, because they are integral to our kingdom.
“No amount of political influence can override historical truth and legal fact, and Oba-Ile land cannot be ceded to anyone for any reason.”
But in a swift rebuttal, the Palace of the Deji of Akure dismissed the allegations as baseless and an attempt to distort history.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Adeyeye Michael, the palace insisted that both government circulars and court judgments.
Adeyeye said the rulings by Justices W.A. Akintoroye, A. Osadebay, and the Court of Appeal had long affirmed the Deji of Akure as the prescribed and consenting authority over minor chieftaincies in Akure land.
It described Oba-Ile as settlers integrated into the Akure community, stressing that Obagbeyi, the 11th Deji, was not the son of the Oloba as claimed.
The palace further urged security agencies to place Omodara on watch for allegedly fueling division, reiterating that only the Deji has the prerogative to appoint chiefs in Akure North and South.
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