WHO ORDERED THE DEMOLITION OF OYO VILLAGES?

by Biodun Adams

Alaafin Oba Adeyemi III 

It is no longer news that OYO Alaafin does not have an Alaafin on the throne. The reputation of Oyo for due process in all things is said to be second to none giving the very facts that many things have happened in Oyo Metropolis and they all have been amicably settled through conflict resolution procedures under the late Alaafin Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Permanent Chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs who incidentally is the consenting authority for all traditional rulers and baales in Oyo Metropolis. The incidence that happened most recently actually took everyone by surprise because it remains largely unprecedented till today.

Our corespondents investigation in Oyo town for answers to  important questions that has been asked by many well meaning sons and daughters of Oyo Alaafin living within and outside Oyo metropolis on the probable causes remotely and actual after the demolition of many houses in surrounding villages in the peaceful town of Oyo, which has resulted into the loss of properties of people running into several millions of Naira estimatedly as home owners are now without their homes especially those who have been living in the hinterlands of Oyo Alaafin for many decades though there wasn't any information of any loss of lives.

In our investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the demolition, there were claims and counter claims but right now the die is cast because from the foregoing, there are losses now after some people from Awe were said to be enforcing or executing a court judgement or court order that they got that could have been the premise under which they went about to demolish several residences in the villages.

Awe is a town in Oyo Alaafin in Afijio local government. They have a traditional ruler though up till the passing of Alaafin Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, Iku Baba Yeye who signed the certificate as the consenting authority for the Baale of Awe in which till date though there have been modifications to the nomenclature from "Baale of Awe" to "Alawe of Awe" .  This change of nomenclature have not been made official as the "Alawe" have not received a beaded crown like other surrounding towns like Akinmorin, Ilora, Imini. This had been premised on purported disputes/misunderstanding with the late Alaafin Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III till his passing and up till today another Alaafin has not been enthroned, meaning that the status quo remains as it is from the signing of the certificate for the Alawe back in late 70s.

Information further gathered, was that many of the affected villages like Kieseni were not part of the initial suit or contention in the case between the predecessor Baale of Elepe and the incumbent Alawe in which they had been in court. At a point there was a case between Aare Alakata and the Alawe of Awe in which the lawyer of Alakata had hinted the court that the Alaafin was going to join the case back then.

 Our correspondent further learnt that there were peace moves then aimed at settling the dispute between the late Alaafin of Oyo and Alawe of Awe but that was said to have been thrown out of the window when the Alaafin was purported to be joining the Aare Alakata in the suit against the Alawe because if that did not hit the rocks, possibly the Alawe would have been harmonised with the Alaafin through the Basorun of Oyo who happens to be the traditional retainer and subsequently become a beaded wearing King since "the existence of a Baale presupposes there is a King to whom he owes allegiance."

Hon. Akeem Adeyemi 

As at today information have it that the local government chairmen of Oyo East local government under Hon. Saheed Arowosaye has led a delegation to the villages to have a fi at hand assessment of the damages cum demolition that took place at many of the villages under its local government. Information also had it that the Afijio local government Chairman had also paid a visit to the Alawe and the Alawe in council for a possible delay and restraints from further demolitions of houses and possibly farms in the disputed lands. 

Gov. Seyi Makinde 

There is an uneasy calm and there is a great uncertainty permeating the peaceful town of Oyo over the demolition that took place and up until this moment there are still so many disputes that exists on lands that involve Awe in which many see as an expansionist agenda because the people of Apitipiti have also complained that the people of Awe are trying to lay claims on their lands incidentally that is where the only TV station in Oyo is and the new passport office that was built in Oyo. Where many of these disputes will end is actually unknown to all andnl what will come out from it leaves many clueless because capacity and capabilities are unknown.

There is need to actually interpret the court judgement or court order as it is said to have been obtained. It is a public knowledge that the late Alaafin Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, in suits against the Baale of Ilora now  Akibio of Ilora in which the "ileko Aremo"  to Idigba was won by Alaafin as part of Oyo land, despite the judgement, no house or properties or farms  were destroyed. The dispute of land from Durbar to Akinmorin along where there is "Oko Oba (Kings Farm) which shows that it was part of the lands of Alaafin, from all information gathered no houses or farms were destroyed after the judgement till date. The Magodo land dispute with Lagos State after the entire case, there was no demolished houses or destroyed properties after all said and done with all court pronouncements.

The fundamental questions that possibly the Alawe of Awe or Alawe in Council or his legal team will need to help the entire public provide answers to or shed more light to is:

1. The court judgement that Alawe have, was it stated expressly that they should go ahead demolish everything including all the houses and farms which are livelihoods of people living on those lands they got judgement over?

Our amiable Governor Seyi Makinde in whose time this is happening most definitely will have a lot of work to do unsettling these rifts because if not for the vacant throne of Alaafin the consenting authority, these things might not escalate to this level. There are many other land disputes like the Olori town in Oyo East in which the people of Iwo have been trying to annexe and the vacant throne of the Alaafin is the reason why many things are happening and it all appears that things are falling apart and the centre seems not to be holding. There are many other boundary issues that requires urgent attention and many are afraid that Oyo is sitting on a keg of gunpowder as brothers may go up in arms against one another on the issue of lands and borders as seen in Offa Vs Erinle fights over boundaries set by the Alaafin.

The good People of Oyo are all waiting for what the government will say and do. Hon. Prince Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi as part of the first responders have gone to give some palliatives to people who suffered great misfortunes from the destruction of their homes and properties. The silence in Oyo is getting to such level that if a needle were to drop, you will most definitely hear the sound like it was a gun shot.  

Hon. Saheed Arowosaye 

What position will the federal government take since boundary commission is under the federal government? Have we heard the last thing on this matter in Oyo Alaafin?