A contender to the stool of the Olu of Araromi-Owu in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State, Dr Olukayode Oremakinde, in this interview by SAM NWAOKO, speaks on the crisis between his town and Orile-Owu, and efforts being made to end it.
From the petition you sent to the Governor of Osun State Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke, you mentioned that your installation as the second Olu of Araromi-Owu was disrupted by ‘sponsored thugs.’ What do you believe motivated this action by those named in the petition?
The Olu of Araromi-Owu, as the paramount ruler of Araromi-Owu, holds the authority to appoint his chiefs and has the final say in such matters. Araromi-Owu has a government gazette for the installation of our Olu. The Afobajes, comprising the council of chiefs, are responsible for selecting the next Oba from the eligible family line (idi igi) in succession. We have the Otun and Balogun lines, from which the chiefs select a candidate for Olu and present their choice to the Olowu for his consent. The Olowu only has the authority to give his consent to the selected candidate; he does not have the authority to choose for the people of Araromi. Both the Olowu of Orile Owu and the Olu of Araromi were Baales under the Olubadan of Ibadan until Osun State was created. When the Olowu’s traditional title of Baale was elevated to that of Oba, the Olowu became a consenting authority.
To provide a context for the present dispute, the previous Olu of Araromi-Owu, Oba Nathaniel Oyetunji, had written to the Ayedaade Traditional Council through the Olowu about the list of his people to be made chiefs, but the Olowu replaced the names with indigenes of Orile-Owu and installed them as chiefs in Araromi-Owu, which he had no right to do. The case against the Olowu is still pending in court. Despite this, the Olowu also made us aware that he intended to install one of these imposed chiefs as the next Olowu of Araromi Owu following the death of the last Olu of Araromi in May 2024.
When we realised the Olowu’s intention, we petitioned the Osun State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, and this matter was discussed at a meeting attended by the ministry’s officials. The Commissioner, key officials and representatives from both communities, including the Olowu himself, were present. The summary of the discussion was that the Commissioner and other ministry officials strongly warned the Olowu not to interfere with the internal affairs of Araromi Owu, especially regarding choosing new Olu. However, Olowu disregarded the governor’s directive and declared that one Sikiru, an indigene of Orile Owu, was the next Olu of Araromi-Owu.
The Olowu’s desire to impose his subject as the Olu of Araromi is the root cause of this issue.
On the day of my installation, thugs attacked us as we were conducting the introduction ceremony of the Oba-elect at the palace of the late Olu of Araromi, miles away from Orile Owu. The thugs disrupted my installation. It was God’s faithful protection over my life that delivered me on that fateful day, July 23rd, 2024. God’s judgment is coming to everyone directly or indirectly involved in that attack.
The ultimate goal of the Olowu is to install an Owu indigene as the Olu of Araromi-Owu, which is an aberration. No true indigene of any town would tolerate that. This is the root of the current conflict between the two towns. An Olowu has never been involved in the installation of the Olu of Araromi from time immemorial. The matter is now in court through a petition.
Secondly, the Olowu claims he wants to rewrite the history his ancestors never wrote. I believe the Olowu is deliberately defying the Osun State government through his repeated aggressive actions toward the people of Araromi-Owu.
Looking back in history, a conflict occurred between the two towns around 1946–1947 after the death of the first Olu of Araromi-Owu, Baale James Oremakinde, who was my grandfather. Because Baale Oremakinde’s children were too young to assume the position of Baale in 1946, another Ibadan man, Abegunrin Ajani, was made the Baale in December of that year. This was documented in a letter dated December 19, 1946. At the time, the Balogun of Araromi (an Ikirun) was displeased and sought help from the Owu people to convince the Olubadan to make him the next Baale. They agreed but decided that Matthew Oyetunji would be presented to the Olubadan as the sectional leader of the Ikirun people (within Araromi), not the Baale. The Olubadan agreed to this request. However, upon returning to Araromi, the Owu people supported Matthew Oyetunji as Baale, leading to a conflict and a court case which was eventually settled out of court and decided by the Olubadan, who ruled in favor of Abegunrin. There are archived documents to support this story. At that time, both Araromi and Orile Owu were under the control of the Olubadan. Orile Owu Oba has never installed a king over Araromi. The two towns have always been separately governed. Now, the Olowu wants to impose my grandfather’s former tenant, who lived in his house for 10 years rent-free, as the ruler of Araromi-Owu. May God forbid such a disgrace to our town.
Historically, Araromi-Owu and Orile-Owu seem to share the same progeny – Owu. To outsiders, this may look like a ‘brothers at war’ situation. When did things fall apart between the two towns?
Araromi-Owu is a distinct town from Orile-Owu, formerly known as Ago Owu. Both towns were founded separately in the deserted forest of the old Owu kingdom, which was destroyed during a war which forced its inhabitants to scatter across Yorubaland. Araromi-Owu was founded by Pa James Oremakinde, an Owu indigene of Ibadan extraction. Other settlers joined him from the Ikirun/Gbongan axis. The town was originally called Aba Ore but later changed to Araromi, signifying the land’s fertility and prosperity. Ago Owu (now Orile Owu) was founded earlier by a different group.
The present settlers in Orile Owu were Owu people exiled from Ile Ife. They were accused of supporting Modakeke against Ile Ife and the Ooni of Ife handed them to the Olubadan, who later handed them to Oba Apomu to settle them down at the time. They were initially settled at a village called Motako, very close to Aiyepe and were later moved to Ago Owu that later changed to Orile-Owu, their present site. Both towns share a connection to the abandoned forest of the old Owu kingdom, but they have always been separate entities.
In light of what has happened in Araromi-Owu, what has been the intervention of the Osun State government? Can you mention any concrete actions?
Thankfully, the Osun State government through the Governor, declared a state of emergency on all chieftaincy matters pending the completion of investigations. While the government has avoided partiality, it declared in July 2024, that all activities relating to the selection of a king for Araromi-Owu be put on hold until further notice. The government is well aware through the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs, of the official gazette clarifying the Obaship process of Araromi-Owu. They also have minutes from the meeting between the warring parties confirming that the Olowu was explicitly warned not to interfere with the installation process.
However, I believe that security agents should have intervened earlier to prevent the loss of lives, and I trust the ongoing investigations by various agencies, including the NSCDC and the DSS, will shed light on these issues.
The Osun State House of Assembly also went on a fact-finding mission, and their report should be forthcoming. We have also held meetings with the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security regarding the situation. The reports from all these agencies including that of the Amotekun, who rescued us from the forest on the day of my installation, would be helpful to the government in making a decision that would lead to permanent peace in our community.
How is Araromi-Owu as we speak, what is the current position of things there?
Despite the government’s efforts, the other people still parade themselves as Obas and continue to terrorise our community. Properties have been burnt, my supporters have been attacked, and thugs continue to roam freely around the town with guns, disrupting daily life and forcing people to flee into the forest for safety. Immediately following the appeal by the House of Assembly that peace be maintained while the government finalises its decision, thugs beat one of my people mercilessly. The case was brought to the attention of the Assembly members who advised that they would take the matter to the police directly. Till date, this has not been done.
However, I have now advised that the case be brought formally to the attention of the Director of the DSS as this represents a direct disobedience to their signed undertaken.
What are your expectations following the petition; are there signs that steps have begun on the petition?
My expectations are, firstly that the government will continue to honour the official gazette. Secondly, the government will review our association with the Olowu of Orile-Owu as the constitutional authority for us and that the government will establish a new security system for the region which will represent the interests of both towns equally.
We also hope that the government will demonstrate to all that no one is above the law. They will therefore pursue and execute judgments against the Olowu of Owu, his candidate and all other thugs who were involved in the crisis.
What are your plans for the town and your subjects?
What plans can you propose to your people without peace and security? My immediate plan is to ensure that Araromi Owu has its independent security system that is distinctly separate from Orile-Owu. The Olowu of Orile-Owu is said to be an ex-police officer and this has led to the compromise of the police in that area. I hope that the security agencies who are investigating the case will shed further light on this matter.
Once peace and security are restored, we can begin to pursue our plans to bring development and growth into the region.
Have you reached out to government regarding your plans for your community and your vision as the Kabiyesi?
Unfortunately, I am a stickler for following orders. The government has officially said it does not recognise anyone as the Olu of Araromi yet, so I cannot reach out officially to them in that capacity. I believe that as I begin to share my vision and plans of bringing development and growth to the people, Araromi town and Ayedaade Local Government and the state government will not have a choice but to support us fully.
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