Ogun: Itoku Indigenes Petition Dapo Abiodun, Alake, Others Over Traditional Council Excesses
…. Indigenes vow to resist Ogboni tyrants
The Itoku Indigenes of Egba Section in Ogun State have warned against an impending crisis following the unlawful acts of some chiefs under the Ogboni title Chiefs led by the Oluwo, Chief Olusoji Sodamola and others.
The Indigenes who frowned at the action of Chief Sodamola who contravene the peace move initiated by the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, and installed some Chiefs, while also promoting others, against the law, and principle of fairness, justice and general decision of the people..
The Indigenes who through their Counsel, Barrister M. B. Ogundare warned that the actions of the Ogboni Chiefs through the Oluwo may spark violence in the once peaceful town.
The Counsel who petitioned Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, The State House of Assembly, Commissioner of Police, Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland and other Chiefs called the attention of Alake to the unbridled action of Chief Sodamola and subsequently passed a vote of no confidence on the traditional Council.
Read the full petition written to Alake of by the Indigenes below.
RE: NOTIFICATION OF VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP OF ITOKU TRADITIONAL COUNCIL
We refer to our earlier letter dated 28th March, 2023 on the above subject and further present Our Clients instructions thereto.
Our Clients remains the good people of Itoku including but not limited to the Baales of the villages in Orile Itoku, Christians, Muslims, traditional worshippers, traditional medicine practitioners (Babalawo), hunters and youths who have instructed us to express their sincere appreciation to Your Royal Majesty for the fatherly roles you are playing towards the promotion of peace, orderliness and harmonious relationship in Itoku township and villages in bids to end the protracted crises that have been rocking the township in the last few years.Our Clients specifically directed us to thank you for your personal interest in Itoku township based on the need to protect the Ogboni Itoku chiefs, most especially because of the significant roles of Ogboni Itoku chiefs in the traditional and cultural activities of Egba.
Regrettably, the Oluwo Itoku; Chief Olusoji Sodamola have, this while refused to toe the path of peace set by Your Royal Majesty through Alhaji Moshood Akinyele (AMERICO) which has gaven him the privileged opportunities of arriving in Nigeria without being arrested for jumping Police administrative bail that led to the conviction of his surety, Semiu Adeosun for two (2) years imprisonment with N200,000:00 option of fine, amongst other crises and alleged criminal activities involving him and his co-chiefs.
Instead, Chief Sodamola further embarked on his irrational activities to consolidate all the wrongs done in the past, showing tendencies to continue to do more.
It is highly embarrassing that Chief Sodamola refused to recognize and discuss with Alhaji Moshood Akinyele whom Your Royal Majesty tasked with the responsibilities of moving round the Itoku Villages and Township with his team to resolve the crisis throughout the three (3) months of their running up and down on the matter before being given a soft landing in Abeokuta.
On his arrival in the first week of March, 2025, theOluwo Itoku refused to relate with Alhaji Akinyele and his team that are finding amicable and lasting resolutions to the crisis. He shunned all the aggrieved people of Itoku township and villages but continued with his embarrassing activities.
Your Majesty Sir, it is on record that Alhaji Moshood Akinyele was forced to call your attention to these complaints upon which you intervened before Chief Sodamola reluctantly called Alhaji Akinyele for a meeting with the Otun Baba Adeen Itoku, Alhaji Sulaiman Danyiwo in attendance. He later moved ahead with his plans.
It is worth noting that Chief Olusoji Sodamola attended the Ogboni Itoku Traditional Council meeting for the first time in two (2) years and installed Chief Oluwole Odekunle as Lisa Itoku from his previous title of Akinrogun Itoku in the Olorogun Itoku section.
He also conferred the chieftaincy title of Apena Itoku on his Oluwo Ifa, who was never an Itoku chief and did not come from the families of Apena Itoku.
He went further to dethrone Chief Sunday Ojelade, Baase Itoku for what he termed ‘his ineffectiveness to confront Itoku indigenes that are complaining against the activities of Ogboni Itoku chiefs’ and relegated him to the Bantun Itoku.
All these acts were taken by him without prior discussion with other Itoku High Chiefs including the Balogun Itoku – Alhaji (Chief) Semiu Sodipo and Lukotun Itoku (Acting Jagunna) – Chief Kehinde Jacobs.
At the next Ogboni Itoku Traditional Council meeting of Thursday, 20th March, 2025, Chief Sodamola promoted Chief Monsuru Odedeyi from Baajito Itoku to Baase Itoku, Chief Seyi Onifade from Jagunmolu Aje Itoku to Nlado Itoku and Chief Luwayi from Nlado Itoku to Ntoye Itoku.
He also summoned an emergency meeting of Ogboni Itoku Chiefs on Tuesday, 25th March, 2025 to promote some Ologun Itoku chiefs into the chieftaincy titles of Otun, Osi, Ekerin, Seriki and Aare without the presence of Balogun Itoku.
All these people that are being promoted by him are those that conspired and perpetrated wrong doings with him against the patriotic citizens of Itoku township and homesteads.
Chief Monsuru Odedeyi’s name was used in a conspiracy involving Chief Kehinde Sofenwa and Chief Oluwole Odekunle to purchase Afo Itoku forest for N9,000,000:00 and re-sell to Mr. Victor for a sum of N35,000,000 with no amount of money accounted for on the sales of Afo Itoku forest.
Chief Seyi Onifade was in a criminal case with Chief Kehinde Sofenwa for willfully removed the roofing sheets and planks of the ancient building of BALOGUN FAMILY in Oke Itoku, and maliciously destroyed the building, leveraging on Itoku Traditional Council’s alleged claim of the land which was sold to an Ibo man.
Chief Oluwole Odekunle is frontline supporter of all the criminal activities of these people including Chief Kehinde Sofenwa, Chief Monsuru Odedeyi, Chief Seyi Onifade, Chief Semiu Adeosun, Chief Imraina Ikanrede, etc. He is the leading person falsifying criminal cases against the Baales and Itoku Youths, all because they are agitating against the fraudulent sales of Itoku resources and conversion of the money realized from the sale of resources of the commonwealth of Itoku for personal use.
Chief Kehinde Sofenwa, Chief Oluwole Odekunle and Chief Monsuru Odedeyi that are ruling Itoku while the Oluwo Itoku was away have relied heavily on the town’s resources for their sustainability. Oluwo Itoku is also a beneficiary of this illicit acts. They are ganging up to oppress and scare away patriotic indigenes of Itoku who are agitating against their wrong doings.
They are falsifying criminal allegations to create crises to criminalize these people with a view set them on the run or get them. imprisoned.
Sir, you have done what is expected of you as the father of all. Your personal interest in Ogboni Itoku is well noted and very much appreciated yet the collective interest of the entire Itoku indigenes and the township itself should also be held sacrosanct.
It is apt to say here that Ogboni Itoku chiefs are hiding under your image as a cover-up to commit crimes.
With due respect Sir, we wish to register the fact that Itoku people have full respect, honour and recognition for the throne and person of Alake Egba and fully appreciate your personal interest and roles but it should be noted that Your Majesty is being deceived and misled by these criminals who parade themselves as Chiefs in Itoku and taking advantages of their closeness to you to exploit their subjects.
Itoku township and homesteads cannot continue to accommodate fraudsters and wicked people as their traditional leaders anymore. They sold and leased landed properties of the commonwealth of Itoku in Orile Itoku to Chinese and indigenous companies for mining of granites, Kaolin, etc for millions of Naira and also sold economic trees and leaves without considering need to involve the Baales and any segment of Itoku sons and daughters in the township and homesteads and diverted the proceeds to the personal use of about seven (7) Chiefs who are the real cabal.
They falsified complaints to Police to criminalize the Baales and other Itoku indigenes that are complaining against their activities until the Federal High Court of Justice of Nigeria sitting in Abeokuta ordered the Police to stop humiliating people who are fighting for their legitimate rights in a judgement delivered by the Honourable Justice Adefunmilola A. Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court 2, Abeokuta on Tuesday, 20th February, 2024 on Suit No. FHC/AB/FHR/42/2023 between Chief Adebesin Ifaloseyi (Baale Olorunda) & 5 Others versus Chief Olusoji Sodamola (Oluwo Itoku) & 7 Others.
The court ordered them to apologise in two National Dailies and pay a special and general damages of N5,000,000:00 (Five Million Naira) with additional costs of N100,000:00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira).
The same set of people namely; Chief Kehinde Sofenwa, Chief Oluwole Odekunle, Chief Monsuru Odedeyi, Chief Seyi Onifade, Chief Muraina Ikanrede, etc hide under the unbrella of Itoku Traditional Council of Chiefs to hijack properties of various families in Itoku township and villages they eventually sold and diverted the proceed for their personal use.
Sir, the law has started taking its course against these people before the intervention of Your Royal Majesty for peace and harmony to reign in Itoku and we agreed to Your position out of respect and honour but regretted that Oluwo Itoku, Chief Olusoji Sodamola was not interested in peace and justice. He bluntly rejected the twelve (12) terms of settlement listed by the delegates of Itoku sons and daughters at home and Abroad as stated below;
They demanded for the immediate end to Ogboni Itoku’s brutality, forceful hijacking of the people’s properties and unilateral sales of the resources of the commonwealth of Itoku at Orile Itoku in the name of Ogboni Itoku; and insisting on fairness and justice on the previous actions;They demanded for proper review of activities of individual chiefs in the crisis and menting appropriate discipline on erring chiefs however highly placed;
They demanded for the facts of Itoku resources sold or leased in Orile Itoku and accountability of the money accrued from the transactions;They demanded for the documents of all the leasehold and outright sales agreement of Itoku resources transacted in the past for possible review and future records;
They demanded the immediate issuance and release of certificate of chieftaincy title of Itoku Traditional Council of Chiefs to each and every Baale in Orile Itoku that have paid the prescribed fee to the Oluwo Itoku or, and Odofin Itoku earlier, as well as the newly selected Baales that are ready to make payment of the money; provided such a person has not been convicted by any Court of competent jurisdiction as directed by Alake Egba; HRM Oba (Dr) Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo;
They further demanded for the procurement of chieftaincy certificate of Alake Egba for the Baales that Oluwo Itoku and Odofin Itoku had earlier collected the money;
They demanded for the reinstatement of Itoku chiefs removed in the year 2014 and the restructuring of Itoku Traditional Council to accommodate decent, responsible and reliable people with proven integrity;
They insisted that Ogboni Itoku must accord due honour and recognition to the Baales in their respective jurisdictions.
The Ogboni Itoku must not commit further act of transferring the resources of the commonwealth of Itoku to anybody for any reason whatsoever without the knowledge and consent of the Baales in Orile Itoku individually and collectively as the traditional administrators of the area.
They demanded for the setting-up of all inclusive committee of all stakeholders in Itoku for the management of Itoku resources in Orile Itoku for the purpose of development;
They demanded for positive and effective mobilization of human and material resources of Itoku for socio-cultural, economic and infrastructural development of Itoku and its people;
They insisted that all the actions taken by the Oluwo Itoku on arrival in Nigeria in February, 2025 to-date without due consideration for the crisis on ground be reversed immediately. It include but not limited to the purported installation of Lisa Itoku, Apena Itoku, Otun Itoku, Osi Itoku, Ekerin Itoku, Aare Itoku, Nlado Itoku, Ntoye Itoku, etc and further sales of Itoku resources like timbers, economic leaves and so on;
They insisted and maintained that Oluwo Itoku in particular and all Itoku chiefs at large must suspend further action on Itoku township and homestead affairs forthwith until all issues at stake are fully and finally resolved.
We respectfully appeal to you to create a conducive atmosphere and level ground for us to protect the interests and right of Itoku against these tyrants and fraudsters that are ruling us in the interest of justice and future of Itoku generations.
With due respect sir, we would leave no stone unturned and will never look back anymore to rescue the situation we found ourselves. We shall mobilize Itoku indigenes home and Abroad to invoke the powers of relevant Government Agencies including Security Outfits, Courts, Media and Human Right Organization to fight our cause.
_____________________
M. B. OGUNDARE ESQCc; The Executive Governor,
Ogun State of Nigeria,
Governor’s Office,
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.Cc; The Honourable Speaker,
Ogun State House of Assembly,
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.Cc; The Attorney General and Honourable
Commissioner for Justice,
Ogun State of Nigeria,
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.Cc; The Honourable Commissioner,
Ministry of Local Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs,
Ogun State of Nigeria,
Abeokuta.Cc; The Commissioner of Police,
NIGERIA POLICE,
Ogun State Police Command,
State Headquarters,
Eleweran, Abeokuta.Cc; The State Director,
Department of State Security,
Ogun State Directorate,
Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.Cc; High Chief Sikirul’lahi Atobatele,
Balogun Egba,
Abeokuta.Cc; High Chief Suarau Alani Bankole,
Apena Egba,
Abeokuta.Cc; High Chief Oluyinka Kufile,
Aaro Egba,
Abeokuta.Cc; High Chief Akanni Akinwale,
Baagbimo Egba,
Abeokuta.
