Obaship tussle: Police summon Ekiti monarch over alleged threat, vandalisation

The Police High Command, Abuja has summoned the Alara of Aramoko
Ekiti, Oba Olu Adeyemi, over alleged threat to the life and
vandalisation of the property of a contender to the Alara stool in the
community, Omo'ba Olusegun Aderemi.

The summon followed an invitation of the monarch to the Police State
Command Headquarters, Ado Ekiti last weekend over the matter.

Aderemi had petitioned the police in February, alleging threat to his
life and vandalisation of his property including billboard by some
individuals in the community.

He is locked in legal battle with the monarch, praying the court to
remove Oba Adeyemi and declare him (Aderemi) instead as the Alara of
Aramoko.

Men of Police Intelligence Response Team from Abuja, on the directive
of the Inspector General (IG) to investigate the petition, was said to
have discovered the torn billboard belonging to Aderemi in the palace
of the monarch following which Oba Adeyemi was invited to the Police
Command headquarters in Ado Ekiti for interrogation.

In a letter by the Principal Staff Officer to the IG, ACP Usman Umar,
to the ACP, Intelligence Response Team entitled: "Re: Complaint for
Threat to Life, Criminal Intimidation and Unlawful Destruction of
Property Against Mr Omotayo Falope (aka Oloforo)", the IG directed
that the Team investigates the allegations and furnish him with
report.

Sources said Falope, the principal suspect, led the police team, which
was armed with search warrant, to the Alara's Palace on allegation
that the monarch had clue to the incident, leading to the alleged
discovery of the torn billboard in the palace.

According to sources, Oba Adeyemi's explanation at the Police State
Command headquarters that some people saw the torn billboard and
brought it to the palace thinking it belonged to the palace, prompted
the security agency to ask him to report in Abuja on October 8 for
further questioning.

But Oba Adeyemi, who earlier in the week said he was in Abuja and
would be available at Aramoko Ekiti on Wednesday, told journalists on
telephone on Thursday that he had traveled out of the country.

The monarch said: "I don't want to react to this. I don't have poster
war with anybody. I am a traditional ruler, how do you want me to
react to things like these? I am already out of Nigeria".

Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu,
said he has not been briefed on the matter, promising to get back as
soon as he is briefed.

Aderemi, thorough his lawyers, Ogunremi Opeyemi, in a petition
entitled "Complaint of Forcible Entry, Criminal Trespass, Malicious
Damage, Threat to Life and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace,"
to the police and Department of State Services (DSS) had appealed for
justice in the matter.

Similarly, the Ipaye Ijowa Quarter Development Association, Aramoko
Ekiti, in a petition to police and DSS entitled "Report of Disturbance
and Misconduct" called for institution of a commission of inquiry to
investigate the case, which it said was capable of causing breach of
peace.