Rivalry Between Ogunkoya, Olamiji Gets Messier
Unless the Lagos State Government and security agencies intervene in the fresh crisis brewing in the Okegun-Odofin area of Ibeju Lekki between Chief Shamsudeen Ogunkoya of Okeogun Odofin and Mufutau Olamiji, Baale of Aladeseso, may result in serious anarchy in the axis.
It was gathered that the last issue between them was over Obaship tussle between Ismaila Ogunkoya, younger brother of Shamsudeen and Olamiji.
The Ogunkoyas had accused Olamiji of intruding into their territory with the support of the ‘Onibeju’ of Ibeju Lekki, Oba Rafiu Olusegun Salami.
It was learnt that the fresh crisis was caused by the alleged theft of dredging pipes put in care of Ogunkoya (elder brother to Ismaila Ogunkoya, Baale of Okeogun Odofin), but allegedly stolen by people sent by Olamiji, the Baale of Aladeseso, a community that is few metres away from Okeogun Odofin community.
According to Ogunkoya, who is also the ‘Ajagungbade’ of Ibeju-Lekki land, he just went to his brother’s palace one afternoon and witnessed a scuffle among some youths of the community at the entrance of the Okeogun-Odofin community.
He said that the youth of the community were trying to extort money from the truck driver and attendants sitting on top of some dredging pipes inside a truck.
According to him, while trying to calm everyone down, he looked further and discovered that the said pipes looked exactly like the pipes put in his care.
He said,” When I questioned the drivers and the boys, they replied that it was Baale Aladeseso who sent them. Immediately, I asked two of my boys to go and check the pipe equipment at the waterfront and they came back to confirm that the pipes inside in the truck were the ones put in my care.
“I could not believe it; I went to check by myself and discovered that it was true. Immediately, I called the Akodo Police Station to send their men to come and arrest the guys and the truck,” he said.
But the Police after the arrest, according to Ajagungbade, were not willing to invite them both (that is himself and Baale Aladeso) for interrogation. Rather, they were asking him to come and close the case.
Ajagungbade added that when he confronted Baale Aladeseso with the allegation, he denied and claimed that the pipes were his own.
“ Baale Aladeseso told me that he bought the pipes from one Selim but because the pipes didn’t fit into what he wanted to use them for, he asked his boys to return the equipment. I asked him to produce the receipt of purchase but he could not.
“At the Police station, Aladeseso changed his tone by saying someone owed him to the tune of N5million and was not willing to pay, reason he sent his boys to go confiscate his dredging pipes,” Ajagungbade said.
Meanwhile, a titled chief, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists that the Onibeju Lekki of Lekki Kingdom, Oba Salami, had issued warnings to titled chiefs and political thugs that if anyone was found wanting of offences like stealing or disgraceful acts, they should be dealt with severely or be exposed and disgraced.
“Fortunately for me, it is the Oba’s person – the ‘Aladeseso’ that has be found wanting. Let him now do the needful,” Ajagungbade said.
When our reporter visited Akodo Police station, it observed a near-worn out truck with black long pipes opposite the station. Facing the truck also was another truck carrying a long red-coloured seemingly empty container.
The Divisional Police Officer, DPO- CPS Adebayo, said that Ajagungbade is yet to come to him personally and he is yet to call the parties involved for discussion.
He denied the allegation that his station seemed compromised.
Adebayo, who spoke on the telephone, said that he did not want to release the truck to wrong persons as there were two parties claiming ownership of the truck.
He said: “Ajagungbade did not report to me personally, but through my inspector who handled the case. They may be the ones inviting him to come and close the case, which is not to my knowledge. I am yet to get proper briefing on the case.”
Mr Akin Akinwale, owner of the stolen pipes (Jaak Limited, an engineering and marine services company), explained to journalists that he took those pipes to Okeogun Odofin community for dredging purposes.
He said he also bought other landed property within the community along with the dredging pipes but discovered that there were other interests competing for the zone, saying thay he decided to suspend his own pending when all nerves would be calm.
He said that he signed a contract deal with Ajagungbade to keep watch over the pipes, container and other landed property.
However, one afternoon, he got a call from Akodo Police station to come and identify a truck containing some pipes, which he did and discovered that about four of the pipes were missing.
Thereafter, Akinwale said that Baale Aladeseso called him to plead with him that it was the devil’s handiwork.
He said that the Baale told him that his boys informed him wrongly that the pipe belonged to someone who was owing them some large amount of money.
“The Baale Aladeseso pleaded with me that it was the devil’s handiwork. He begged me that we should see face-to-face but I refused because I do not stay in Lagos. Then, the Baale promised to pay me with land in lieu of the missing pipes. I asked him to commit it into black and white because I do not want controversy. On deeper thinking, I asked the Baale to discuss with Ajagungbade, whom I had instructed to be in charge of the pipes,” he explained.
According to him, when he put a call through to Baale Aladeseso, the latter said that he was in a meeting in Ikeja and that he would call back at his convenient time but he did not, and when he was contacted again, he snapped that he was not ready for discussion.