Seventy-Two hours after an Ogun monarch, the Alagodo of Agodo, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Ayinde Odetola, was murdered, controversy has erupted over his true status.
The monarch was murdered on Monday alongside three other persons said to be his friends who were burnt to ashes.
Residents of the village told journalists that the killings followed a clash over the chieftaincy title of the Alagodo.
Our correspondent gathered that there was a crisis over who occupies the seat between Ake and Owu people of Egbaland.
The late monarch was from the Ake section of Egba while the village he was installed on is mostly dominated by Owu people.
The true status of the slain Oba has been generating a row between Ake and Olowu traditional councils
While the Owu traditional council claimed that the late monarch was not known in the community as a traditional ruler, but a land speculator, the Ake traditional council said his appointment was approved by the state government with effect from April 11, 2018.
Backing the claims, the Owu Clan in a statement signed by Chief Ishola Akinsipo, for Olowu-in-Council, claimed that Agodo Community does not have a traditional ruler of an Oba’s status.
The Olowu-in-Coincil, also asserted that “the purported Olu of Agodo Village has neither physical presence nor a palace in Agodo.”
Reacting to the Olowu-in-Council, Chief Adekunle Olajide of Agodo Town, who spoke at Alake Palace, in Abeokuta, stated that the town had an Oba, who was recently killed.
Olajide backed his claim with a letter dated April 17, 2018, written by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy, Ogun State.
The letter, signed by Director, Chieftaincy Affairs, was entitled “appointment as coronet Oba”, was made available to journalists in Abeokuta and gave the approval for appointment of a Coronet Oba for the town.
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