Yemisi Izuora
The Osun State Traditional Rulers’ Council has suspended Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, for six months for attacking Oba Dhikrulahi Akinropo, Agbowu of Ogbaagba.
The council has set up a committee headed by Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Adedotun, to further investigate issues involving Oluwo and Obas in Iwo land.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting at Osun State Government Secretariat, Abere, with Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, presiding. He was suspended for alleged assault of the Agbowu of Ogbaagba, Dhikrulahi Akinropo, during a peace meeting last week in Osogbo, capital of Osun State.
Oriental. News had reported how Oluwo of Iwo beat up Agbowu of Ogbagba during a peace meeting for monarchs in Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa Local Government Areas of the state. Oluwo alleged that Agbowu interrupted him during his speech by calling him a mad man.
The peace meeting, which was convened at the instance of the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 11 was meant to broker peace among the monarchs in the three council areas that had been enmeshed in land tussle for more than three months.
While the Oluwo advocated for leasehold of land, instead of outright sales for developmental projects in the area, the other monarchs insisted that their land belongs to them and they reserve the right to sell them or not. The state government intervened at a stage, but the latest intervention by the police through the office of the AIG Zone 11 suffered a twist when the Oluwo pounced on the Agbowu.
Narrating the incident at the State Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, where he was accompanied by six monarchs to receive medical treatment, the Agbowu said the Oluwo punched him for telling him that he did not sell any land in his domain but his own land. The monarch was rushed to Asubiaro Hospital after the incident by other monarchs at the meeting.
Reacting to the allegation, Oluwo in a statement, said that he was truly invited to make peace on his stance to curtail excessive land sales by monarchs under his domain, a pronouncement that did not go down well with those affected as they regrouped to act against his authority as the Oluwo who gave them the crown.
“At the peace meeting held at the AIG office, Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa interrupted me while I am making my speech and started calling me unprintable names, pointing his staff of office at me, while attempting to stick the staff in my eyes; I heavily rejected it with a force which the Agbowu could not withstand. How could a constable openly insult commissioner of police and make an attempt to beat the CP? Can any monarch try such with Ooni, Alaafin?” he said.