How hoodlums attacked me despite police presence – Osun Monarch

The Ajeniju of Halleluyah Community in Osun State, Oba Jelili Olaiya, has recounted the harrowing experience of an attack on his palace by hoodlums last Friday, which left four people, including himself, injured.

Speaking from the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment, Oba Olaiya explained that the assailants accused him of appointing an Imam within the Ido Osun community without the consent of the Chief Imam of the area.

The monarch, however, denied the allegations, clarifying that his community, Halleluyah Area, is distinct from Ido Osun and that he has not even constructed a mosque in the area.

During the attack, part of his palace was vandalized, and his wife, along with two other individuals, sustained injuries.

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Despite the presence of about 18 police officers and personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at the scene, the hoodlums overpowered security efforts and caused significant damage.

Oba Olaiya described the assault as unwarranted and called for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Narrating how the incident happened, Olaiya said, “The place where the Ajeniju installed an Imam is not on Ido-Osun land. It is in front of my palace. I didn’t install an Imam on Ido-Osun land. The installation was done in front of my place where we also observed the Jumat prayer that day.

“The newly installed Imam had already led one Jumat prayer for us. It was during the following Friday (last Friday) when we were preparing for the Jumat around 11:00 a.m. that the hoodlums came around. That day, some officers came to my palace before those thugs arrived.

“The officers said it was the Divisional Police Officer in Ido-Osun who sent them. Later, the DPO came around and told me he was hearing rumours that I installed an Imam and built a new mosque.

“I told him we didn’t build a new mosque and that we had our Jumat prayer in front of my palace. He said the Chief Imam of Ido-Osun complained that we ought to have come to him for approval, and I replied to the DPO that I was not on Ido-Osun’s land.

“The police were there when we were attacked. The police officers were from Ido-Osun and the state Anti-Kidnapping units, as well as officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, numbering about 18.”

He called for reinforcement of security in the area to prevent further breakdown of peace and appealed for calm to allow the government find a solution to the issue that led to the crisis.

He further said, “I was not the only person that those thugs attacked. My wife, one of my chiefs, Mayowa George, as well as, one of our most senior clerics called Alfa Agba, were seriously injured.”

Efforts to get the Osun State Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps’ reaction to the claim by Oba Olaiya failed as calls to the spokespersons for the two security agencies, Yemisi Opalola and Kehinde Adeleke, respectively did not go through.

The two officers had not also responded to text messages sent to them by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.