SAN FRANCISCO, November 06, (THEWILL) – A petty trader, Mr. Kunle Ayodele, of Elegosi compound in Egosi community, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State who had previously sought protection of the police to save him from alleged continued harassment, assault, illegal arrest and threat to life by a traditional ruler, Oba Daniel Dada, the Elogosi of Egosi, has finally dragged the monarch, along with seven others, to court.
The hearing which commenced on Tuesday at the Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital , witnessed the presence of five accused persons, including the traditional ruler, Oba Daniel Dada, while three other suspected persons were said to be at large.
The eight accused persons were accused of criminal conspiracy, intimidation, assault, mischief and theft contrary to section 97(1), 397, 266,327 and 288 of the penal code .
A petition originating from Temitope Chambers of 26, Zulu-Gambari GRA, Ilorin, signed by Barrister Abiodun Dada on behalf of Mr. Kunle Ayodele, alleged that on 16/03/2013 at about 00:00hrs, Kunle Adesina , John Amuda , Idowu Alufoge and Yomi Adeniyi led by Chief Gbenga Ashaolu, Chief Lasisi Joseph Adeniyi and Chief Ashaolu Folaranmi, all of Egosi Ile town, all armed themselves with dangerous weapons such as axes, cutlass and woods and attacked Kunle Ayodele (complainant) aka Kunle Alaja and his wife in their house, ordering them to obey the order of the Elegosi of Egosi Ile, HRM Oba Daniel Dada, by vacating the Egosi town immediately and when he refused, they descended heavily on him . In the process, his property such as television set valued at about N35,000, one big stove , one Thermocool flask and clothes were destroyed. It was alleged that the sum of N285,000 was also carted away.
Investigation by the State CID Ilorin revealed that the assailants allegedly acted on the instruction and directives of Oba Dada, the Elegosi of Egosi Ile to attack the complainant. However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges against them. The judge granted them bail and fixed December 9 for continuation of the case.
The complainant, Ayodele, while speaking to journalists at the court premises, said he has suffered greatly in the hand of the traditional ruler and his accomplices, noting that, if not for the court which has the capacity to protect helpless citizens like himself, the Oba would have killed him.
The complainant is also asking for N5million as compensation for general damages caused him and his business by the actions of the monarch.
A statement written and signed by his lawyer, Mr. Abiodun Dada Esq of Messrs Abiodun Dada & Co, said the complainant is an easy going man and a law abiding citizen who had been residing in Egosi for over 10 years without any problem. It was gathered from the statement that in furtherance of Ayodele’s business, his landlord converted a room to a shop in his residence for him to expand his business.
The statement also noted that upon this development, which did not go down well with many people, one Johnson Amuda Yusuf and his mother, Taiye Amuda, among others, started harassing and assaulting Ayodele that he stole the blocks that were used to build the shop which his landlord gave him. It said the complainant was ordered by the Oba to demolish the shop, remove the blocks and take them to the palace.
The statement said after the demolition, no block belonging to the people was found in the construction work except red bricks.
Ayodele explained that based on the instructions of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the said Johnson and his mother ,Taiye Amuda were arraigned before the Upper Area Court Omu-Aran, but that the monarch and all members of the Chiefs in council asked the complainant to withdraw the case from court or leave the town within a month.
He said at the expiration of one month, the traditional ruler allegedly reported the complainant to the police that he was selling Indian Hemp, adding that the complainant’s wife was arrested alongside him and detained and that after search, nothing incriminating was found in his house.
Ayodele also alleged that the monarch and his chiefs in council further engaged in threatening his life by placing all sorts of fetish objects in front of his house with a view to frustrating him out of town.
Abdulrazaq O. Hamzat
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