Lagos Oba Denies Any Removal Threat

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Oba of Isheri-Olofin, Lagos, HRM, Oba Wahab Ayinde Balogun has dismissed reports circulated both in the mainstream and social media of a demand by his subject to the Lagos State Government that he should be removed within the next 30 days.

In a statement on behalf of the monarch and signed by Chief Babajide Osokoya, the Baaroyin of Isheri-Olofin Kingdom and Palace Spokesman, tiled “RE: Residents Give Lagos Government 30 Days To Remove Oba of Isheri-Olofin”, he described those reports as “malicious and defamatory”.

Oba Balogun said the reports were sponsored and that the man behind the “malicious and libelous publications is presently on the wanted list of Lagos State Courts and the Nigerian Police Force, as two bench warrants had been issued against him for jumping bail in criminal suits filed against him for several threats to the peace and tranquility of the ancient Isheri-Olofin town, its Monarch and the people”.

The Full statement below: 

“Our attention has been drawn to the malicious media reports on the above subject in the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), some National Newspapers and online networks and blogs which was massively aimed at demeaning and maligning our highly revered monarch, HRM, Oba Wahab Ayinde Balogun (JP) Olofin IV, a peace loving and law abiding nonagenarian, and sponsored by a wanted Ibadan born land grabber based in Isheri-Olofin, Alhaji Shamsideen Alade Adebimpe.

It is highly regrettable that the ethics of the journalism profession must have been thrown to the dogs, as none of the media houses that reported the malicious and defamatory story bothered to contact the royal father or the palace for his own side of the frivolous and ridiculous allegation before publication.

We wondered how any media house of repute would go to bed with such a sensitive, but ridiculous story on an ancient town and its gazette first class monarch without thorough investigation and contact with the party alleged in the said matter,

To put the record straight, the man behind the malicious and libelous publications is presently on the wanted list of Lagos State Courts and the Nigerian Police Force, as two bench warrants had been issued against him for jumping bail in criminal suits filed against him for several threats to the peace and tranquility of the ancient Isheri-Olofin town, its Monarch and the people.

Shamusideen Adebimpe, an agent of the Olorunfunmi family of Idimu, the judgment debtors of a Lagos High Court Judgment of May 15, 2012, in favour of the Oba and the people of Isheri-Olofin by Justice Lawal Akapo in a 32-year legal battle Suit NO.ID/488/80, started constituting public nuisance after the judgment, displaying highest heights of criminality, threatening and attacking innocent individuals in the peaceful town of Isheri-Olofin and even went further to lead other hoodlums to physically  attack the Oba’s palace, claiming that he is from ‘Warrior City’ of Ibadan.

We sincerely wondered, how the media houses involved in the false alarming reports bought Alhaji Shamsideen Alade Adebimpe’s ridiculous story for the eradication of Isheri-Olofin town which had been in existence for over six hundred (600) years and the removal of the Oba who is the fourth Oba after the town assumed the status of Kingship with several Traditional Heads (Baales) in the past.

Apart from the fact that the accuser, Adebimpe does not have the loco standi to challenge the Obaship stool of Isheri-Olofin, as he is neither an indigene nor a member of any ruling house in the ancient town, he refused to appear in several cases he instituted against Oba Wahab Balogun in High Courts in Lagos State. One of such cases was recently struck out.

It is also on record that a case against the Isheri-Olofin Obaship stool instituted by the people of Idimu in 1983 was struck out by a Lagos High Court.

It may interest all journalists involved in Adebimpe’s sponsored reports that the man, to us, is fast turning a psychiatric patient with his abnormal actions. Or how best does one describe a man who had written the presidency, the National Assembly, the State Governor, the State Assembly, the Police, the DSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on several fictitious claims against Oba of Isheri-Olofin and his people, yet unable to appear at meetings called to investigate and confirm his claims?

On several occasions, His Royal Majesty, Oba Wahab Ayinde Balogun, a 92-year-old Justice of Peace had prevailed on the chiefs, people of Isheri-Olofin and his family to ignore Alhaji Adebimpe, a renowned land grabber who went ahead selling landed properties in Isheri-Olofin despite court judgment banning his principals, the Olorunfunmi family of Idimu, their agents and/or privies from such acts.

Of recent, Adebimpe, who is a wanted land grabber disowned by community leaders, who dissociated themselves from his criminal activities against the Oba of Isheri-Olofin, sold several plots of land in Isheri-Olofin to some people, including Fountain of Salvation Church (Aladura Ayo Igbala), of 7, Momodu Kamoru Street, White house, Mafon B/Stop, Ejigbo, despite the judgment and Appeal Court order for the maintenance of status quo.

The same self-styled ‘Ibadan Warrior’, who had severally confronted and labeled the Oba of Isheri-Olofin as a bastard and an alien, blackmailing the royal Father with several spurious allegations, went underground and refused to come out to defend all the allegations he leveled against the monarch.

He instituted several cases against the Oba at the High Courts of Lagos State, but refused to appear and defend the cases, with one of the cases already struck out. The big question is, why is a man pleading for equity not coming with clean hands?

One of the framed allegations Adebimpe who described himself as a ‘Whistle Blower’, levelled against the Oba of Isheri-Olofin was that the monarch and his son, Prince Idris Balogun were behind bunkering activities at Isheri-Olofin and its environ.

When the Lagos State Commander of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Balogun invited all the parties involved in the allegation, Alhaji Adebimpe could not appear to defend his claim, the NSCDC on further investigations arrested the real culprits, apologized to the Oba over the unwarranted embarrassment and invited Adebimpe to come and defend his allegations. The man has been on the run ever since.

In view of all these facts made available from the Palace of the Oba of Isheri-Olofin, HRM Oba Wahab Ayinde Balogun (JP), Olofin IV, we believe the erring media houses will be honourable enough to publish this rejoinder with the same prominence accorded the malicious, damaging and defamatory stories sponsored by Alhaji Shamsideen Alade Adebimpe.

Even though His Royal Majesty is annoyed and disappointed that members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm could not cross check their facts before publishing, he has high regards for the journalism profession, hence he opted for palatable coexistence with the media rather than taking legal action.

We look forward to the full publication of this press release.

Thank you and God Bless.

Signed:

Chief Babajide Osokoya

Baaroyin of Isheri-Olofin Kingdom

(Palace Spokesman)