News

By Omolara Adasofunjo

The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling on the state government to liaise with the federal government and the military hierarchy to provide an alternative shooting range for the Nigerian Army.

This is to resolve the alleged land encroachment by officers of the Nigerian Army, Sappers Barracks, Ilese, affecting Apunren-Ijebu and other communities.

The resolution followed a report by the House Committee of the Whole, presented by Deputy Speaker, Mrs Bolanle Ajayi.

Mrs Àjàyí moved the motion for it’s adoption, seconded by the majority leader, Mr Lukuman Adeleye, and unanimously supported by members through a voice vote during the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Oludaisi Elemide at the Assembly Complex,Oke Mosan , Abeokuta.

The report revealed that the lingering land dispute between the Nigerian Army and the communities of Apunren – Ijebu and Ijebu -Mushin had persisted for about five decades.

According to the spokesperson of the communities, Retired Major General Odunsi Samson, the dispute originated in 1977 following a military decree establishing barracks across various states in the country.

The report revealed that the Army’s failure to properly document and gazette the reduced land allocation, leading to encroachment on host communities.

The report recommended that the state government should engage senior military authorities to review the decision reached earlier by the panel to prevent further encroachment.

The Speaker directed the clerk of the House to forward the copies of the report to the state governor, federal ministries, and Heads of security formations for necessary action.

Edited by Titilayo Kupoliyi

Environment

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, on Friday, ordered the immediate suspension of one of his Mogajis, Chief Olawale Oladoja, Mogaji Akinsola, following his dastard activities in the Akinsola Village in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The community came into the limelight on Thursday, following the clamping down on the residents of the community by the Mogaji Akinsola, claiming that he had gotten court judgments to prove that the land upon which they built their houses was not legally sold to them.

It would be recalled that about 200 houses in the community under reference were on Wednesday put under lock and key and red- marked which he said, was to prove his being in charge.

The action threw the residents out of their houses, leading some of them to sleep in the open throughout the night following which they protested to the Olubadan Palace on Thursday.

The complaints and the public outcry that greeted the matter which trended on the internet led to the emergency meeting conveyed on Friday, which had in attendance the Olubadan, some of the members of his Advisory Council, the representatives of Ibadan Mogajis led by Chief Asimiyu Adepoju Ariori, Mogaji Akinsola and the representatives of the residents and where the decision to suspend the Mogaji and other actions were taken.

Briefing the press after the meeting, the Personal Assistant (Media) to Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola disclosed that three communities, Akinsola, Aponmode and Labinkulu were actually affected by the action with the other two communities as represented by Baale Aponmode, Dauda Bolarinwa Aponmode and Morufu Raufu, relaying how they were recruited by Mogaji Akinsola to join him in reclaiming the land from the landlords and how they turned him down.

In his presentation, Mogaji Akinsola told the monarch and his members of Advisory Council that he made several attempts to resolve the matter before he decided to take action.

He disclosed that the matter was also reported to the palace and moves were being made to intervene but didn’t wait for the conclusion of the palace intervention before he approached the security agents for the execution of the court judgment that gave his family the right of ownership of the disputed land.

The Ashipa Olubadan, Oba Biodun Kola-Daisi who read the riot act on behalf of the Olubadan Advisory Council said: “Several facts were established here today and they pointed to the fact that Mogaji Akinsola didn’t follow the code of conduct usually handed down to both Mogajis and Baales when being appointed.”

“In this instance, the case was already in the Palace, but, did you inform the palace before the police was invited?”

“Your action inconvenient, embarrassed the Olubadan stool and the Ibadanland. You crossed the line and the Council has decided that you be suspended as Mogaji, you are ordered to tender public apology to the people inconvenienced.”

“You defied Olubadan, took laws into your hands by going ahead to take such drastic decision. This will serve as deterrents to others who fail to appreciate and recognize the responsibility their position as either Baale or Mogaji entails.”

“Your suspension will last for as long as it takes to resolve the problem you have created,” Ashipa Olubadan added.

Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Crime

Men of Nigeria Police, Ogun State Command have arrested three suspects for allegedly killing one Rasaq Sotunde at Solomo Village in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state over a portion of land.

The Police Public Relations officer, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi said in Abeokuta that suspects Daniel Ikwe, Micheal Tedungbe and Idowu Shorunke were arrested after a thorough investigation by officers attached to Owode Egba Division.

Mr Oyeyemi said the deceased was found dead along the road leading to Baseye Village, with his head smashed with a heavy object suspected to be a club.

He explained that the suspects claimed that they were contacted by one Idowu Shorunke to eliminate the deceased.

The command’s spokesperson said Idowu shorunke admitted to contacting the two other suspects, explaining that it was because of the dispute over a portion of land which had been lingering on for a while.

Mr Oyeyemi said the three suspects had been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Edward  Ajogun for further investigation and prosecution, while the corpse had been taken to general hospital mortuary for autopsy.

Olusegun Folarin