Kayode Raji, the newly crowned Eweye of Isiwu, Ikorodu, Lagos State, has said Yunusa Jimoh, an alleged land grabber has threatened to abduct him.
In a chat with Newsbreak, Waidi Otaiku Onayemi, the Olootu Ebi Onafoyin, who spoke on behalf of the monarch said Jimoh has the backing of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.
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The monarch was given his staff of office by the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Wale Ahmed, on August 24, 2020.
Jimoh, who is said to be popular and powerful in the community, reportedly led hoodlums to the palace of the monarch on Saturday, injuring at least 60 visitors, who had come to pay homage.
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Onayemi disclosed that the community had been without a king for 16 years until this year.
He said Jimoh, who had illegally been parading himself as king, vowed to unseat the monarch installed by the state government.
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He said DPOs who have been posted to the area, including the current one, Omololu Oni, relates with Jimoh, whom he said has enough to grease their palms from his land-grabbing activities.
According to him, the suspect has threatened to abduct the monarch.
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“For 16 years, we didn’t have a king. But when the state government gave staff of office to our king, we were all happy. Individuals and groups made posters to congratulate the king. So we positioned the banners all over the community”, he said.
“We realized that the banners were missing. Then there was someone who was asked to go and tie one of the congratulatory banners somewhere. Jimoh’s boys beat and macheted him all over his body.
“We informed the DPO. He said he was coming. Then the next thing, he called kabiyesi that the Jimoh’s boys didn’t allow him enter the community at about 12:00am, and that he will only advise him to settle with them. How? You can only have one king in a place.
“Then we thought that was the end. By the following morning, around 7:30am, they came with all manners of weapons, guns, bottles, sticks with nails. They shot at people, people sustained bullet wounds, cuts and all that. We called the DPO again, he didn’t come here until after three hours, imagine from Imota to this place.
“Jimoh is not happy because he feels Kabiyesi will end his reign. His family are the ones selling all the lands in Isiwu. I cannot go to the farm my father left for me. His boys will beat the hell out of me. People who buy land from him refer to him as king, so it has gone into his head and we don’t have anything to do with his business.
“He has never shown interest in becoming the king. They called all of us interested in becoming king, he didn’t show up. He has never even written to the Local Government about it that he is interested. He refused to show up when the paramount ruler of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, invited him to talk about his grievance.
“Till now, he still promising to return and unseat and abduct Oba Raji and me”.
Onayemi alleged that as part of handover, each outgoing DPO tells the incoming officer to work with Jimoh.
“Before Oni came, the previous DPOs too have been handing over Yunusa to themselves as the one to relate with in the community. When it is time for this one to leave too, he will handover Yunusa to the next one as who he should work with, because he sells land a lot and he settles them very well.
“If you report any land matter at Imota, the police officers there will frustrate you. When you get tired, you will sit in your house”, he also said.
He appealed to the state government to provide more security in the community.
“On the day of that attack, if not for local hunters, vigilantes, before police later came, those boys would have achieved their aims. Look at bullet holes on the walls, broken bottles in front and inside the palace. They smashed kabiyesi’s car, destroyed his banner.
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Two of them were arrested. When we checked the phone of one of them, he saved Jimoh’s contact as ‘kabiyesi Isiwu’, in a community that has a king recognized by the Lagos State government.
“Government should help uphold what it has done. We don’t want those boys to abduct our king. Jimoh has gone to Abuja now requesting for soldiers for protection. We have land here, the government can give us a police station. Many indigenes have left the community because Jimoh has taken their lands,” he further stated.
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The Chairman of Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area, Adeola Banjo, as well as the head of administration, were not available when our correspondent visited the place for their comment.
Also, the state police command spokesperson could not be reached on phone for reaction to the allegation against the DPOs in the area.
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