Olugbo of Ugboland, in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, has denied an allegation that he sent thugs to attack his deposed predecessor, former Oba Adebanjo Mafimisebi.
The royal father said that it was unreasonable for him as the chairman of Ondo State Council of Obas and current chairman, Yoruba Obas Conflict Resolution Council, to be involved directly or indirectly in an attack on the home of one of his subjects.
Last week, hoodlums allegedly acting on the prompting of Oba Akinruntan, killed a seven-year old boy identified as Marvelous Akintubuwa and threw his body into a river during an attack on the home of the deposed Olugbo of Ugbo.
The hoodlums were alleged to have beaten up occupants in the house, including the former Olori of the deposed monarch.
Belongings in the building were alleged to have been set ablaze by the hoodlums. Residents who tried to stop them were beaten up, it was learnt.
But, Oba Akinruntan, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Adeoye Adebayo, said it was wrong for anyone to link the Olugbo to what he described as an absurdity.
It said the first class monarch was too busy and sophisticated to think, plan or instigate attack on any of his subjects.
The statement further noted that the residence was among the ancestral homes of any reigning and incumbent Olugbo of Ugboland and the place where traditional rites are performed.
According to the statement: “The residence has been in existence long before the short reign of the deposed monarch. How then can the same residence be claimed to have been owned by the deposed monarch?
“The deposed monarch vacated the residence since 2007 by the order of the Supreme Court that ousted him and traditional rites have always been done there.
“His Imperial Majesty recently visited the residence to distribute food items and cash worth millions of naira as palliatives to the sons and daughters of Ugboland as COVID-19 emergency food relief. Could Kabiyesi have made use of this residence as distribution centre with the deposed monarch as an occupier?
“It is important to say that the people of Ugboland are at home with the monarch and he cannot be painted as being at war with his subjects as represented in the publications.
“The alleged attack on the deposed monarch never took place because the residence in question does not belong to the deposed monarch, neither does he occupy it, but belongs to the Olugbo of Ugboland, His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Obateru Akinruntan.”
Hoodlums, numbering about 50, on Thursday night, reportedly attacked the residence of the deposed monarch allegedly leading to the death of a boy.
The seven-year-old boy, identified as Marvelous Akintubuwa, was allegedly thrown into the river by the bandits and his corpse was discovered floating on Friday morning.
Following the attack, the Mafimisebi’s family had petitioned the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and security agencies in the state, informing them about the development.
The petition, signed by a legal practitioner, Mr Idowu Mafimisebi, alleged that the hoodlums were sponsored by the current Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Akinruntan.
According to the petition: “Our clients informed us that sometime in November, 2019, Obateru Akinruntan (the Olugbo of Ugbo) instructed his thugs to repaint the houses of Dr Adebanjo Mafimisebi, formerly the Olugbo of Ugbo, and claimed that he had control over the property because he was now the Olugbo of Ugbo and threatened that he would eject the family of the former Olugbo out of the premises.
“In reaction, an action in suit No AK/ 125/2019, Dr Adebanjo Mafimisebi vs. Obateru Akinruntan was filed to challenge the acts of trespass of Obateru Akinruntan over our client’s property.
“In reaction to the suit, our clients told us that Oba Obateru Akinruntan filed his statement of defence on 12th February, 2020 and in further reaction, the claimant filed his reply to the statement of defence and hearing notice for the pre-trial conference on 16th March, 2020, meaning that the matter was ripe for trial before the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the lockdown of the entire country and consequently delaying the hearing of the suit.”
It added, “Our clients informed us that in the early hours of the 16th of April, 2020 when the thugs of Obateru Akinruntan forcibly broke into the houses of our clients built within the land in dispute and started dispossessing them of their money, certificates and other useful documents kept within the houses and threw them outside the premises of their building naked.”
But Oba Frederick Akinruntan, denied the allegation, saying he knew nothing about the attack.
“I am a king; he (Mafimisebi) is my subject, how would I be destroying his property and his family members, I don’t know anything about it. Those accusing me are my detractors who are out to smear my reputation,” Akinruntan said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, who confirmed the attack, said it was a communal crisis and normalcy had returned to the town.
“The state deputy governor and the commissioner of police have visited the town and normalcy has returned,” Ikoro said.
