…..Owa of Idanre denies allegation.
THE DESTRUCTION/VANDALIZATION OF THE ALADE PALACE
Today marks the 7th day since the demise of my father in-law, Oba Olusegun Ayodele Akinbola, the Aladeokun of Alade Idanre. I remember my wife waking up this morning to remind me and discuss the need for one of us to be present in Alade for the customary 7th day prayers and ceremonies. We concluded that one of us should go while the other stays back. I stayed back.
I was just preparing to leave the house when a distress call came through from my sister-in-law informing me of the destruction of the palace and her current (as at that time) location in a swamp in the forest behind the palace. She also did inform me that the Regent and several people including my wife had been abducted. I immediately made a call through to some friends and came on social media to alert the world of my wife’s abduction and proceeded to Idanre in a haste to find information about my wife’s whereabouts.
Fortunately, a kind spirited resident of the peaceful Alade bound by the love for #Otito (Truth) had taken custody of her. I got her back from this citizen who took the liberty of driving her back to Akure. She broke down in tears and was unconsolable. Indeed, the clothes on her were not hers and she had no shoes on.
Information coming in indicates that the thugs who invaded the palace, abducted citizens against their will, proceeded to destroy vehicles and vandalized the palace, stole moneys, personal effects, telephones and other properties were acting on the instruction of the Owa of Idanre kingdom; who incidentally is a cousin to the late king
I am perplexed at how a peaceful Idanre descended so quickly into an orgy of hatred, not sparring the innocent in their quest. The level of destruction is unbelievable. The Regent was beaten, assaulted and abducted under the instruction of the Owa of Idanre. Her injuries are deep and painful.
At the Owas’ palace, the king after acknowledging that the regent was his daughter by custom, made two demand; (1) The Alade market must not be closed and (2) There can’t be a female Regent in Alade. Upon these two demands were the destruction, abduction and vandalism based. For these two reasons, a Yoruba king ordered the destruction of the palace of his late cousin, beat and traumatized his family, abducted his daughter and widow, destroyed all personal properties and desecrated dignity of a family in mourning.
Let me say without fear, that I will be laying a petition before the police against the Owa of Idanre for the abduction of my wife and destruction of our property. It is wrong and terribly unkingly for any leader to authorise and supervise what the king did today. Simple diplomacy would have resolved this issue instead of flouting the law to kidnap a citizen.
My name is Zadok Akintoye.
RE: THE DESTRUCTION/ VANDALIZATION OF THE ALADE PALACE
The attention of the palace had just been directed to a destructive and insulting piece purported to have been written by one, Zadok Akintoye wherein he inferred as follows
1. His wife, and some others were allegedly kidnapped …”under the instruction of Owa of Idanre”
2. He also alleged that some people destroyed some property and stole materials at Alade Idanre.
3. He threatened to petition Police against Owa of Idanre.
Nowhere and under no guise did Owa authorize anybody or group of people to go and kidnap anybody. Owa, who is known all over the world as a deep rooted pacifist, Justice of Peace and paramount ruler of Idanreland which he had been leading for close to fifty years during which the nation accorded him the National Honour of Order of Federal Republic (OFR) did not and could not be party to any kidnap plan.
2. The gathering at Owa’s palace on 23rd October 2020 was meant to resolve the issue of purported intention of some people to come and perform parts of the burial rites of the departed traditional ruler of Alade Idanre inside the Alade Regional Market which was founded by Owa on 1861 and such thing was seen as an aberration, hence the need for the parley.
And the gathering ended peacefully after exhaustive deliberations from both sides.
The people were also educated that only at the transition of an Owa could the Alade Regional Market be closed or temporarily relocated and no other traditional ruler in Idanreland was given such entitlement.
In fact, Owa’s personal car was used to take those who came from Alade Idanre back.
Owa is well recognized as a refined monarch who.loves all his subjects to a fault and with special affection and love for departed Aladeokun, who was also junior to him in age.
So Owa could not be a party to any scheme that will make things tough or hard for his immediate family or the people of Alade Idanre who he left behind.
His ultimate goal and zealous passion is unity of Idanre people so that peace and progress can follow.
The issue of “regency” at Alade Idanre was equally raised and Princess Temiloluwa Akinbola confessed that she didn’t know that it was against the tradition of Idanre people to have a female regent after the transition of an Oba, but instead it is the “Lisa” who is next in rank to the Oba that takes the position of regent when an Oba transits.
As per the issue of property affected, Owa, as a lover of peace and the father of all in Idanreland, both indigenes and non indigenes, immediately sent people to sympathize with those affected as he frowned seriously at the act.
Mr. Zadok Akintoye threatened to petition the police against Owa, a monarch who he, in his malicious write up had insulted in various ways and alleged to be party to a kidnap saga. This is quite surprising. The palace may not take such slanderous utterances lying low. *Discerning minds and objective people can see the confusion in Mr. Zadok Akintoye’s position as he claimed , “…the king after acknowledging that the regent was his daughter by custom…” later, inter alia “charged” the king of being the brain behind what happened.
This is albeit not a pleasant surprise as deliberate twisting of issues with a view to dent the immaculate records and image of a personality well respected for his sterling and impeccable characters calls for serious concern by all well meaning sons and daughters of Idanre land.
…Owa’s Media Office 24/10/20
