Estimated reading time: 8 minute(s)
A traditional ruler in Ogun state, the Awujako of Ijako, Oba Rev. Mathew Alabi Ewedairo has raised alarm over the act by some unknown people impersonating and threatening his life.
The monarch during a press briefing lamented that some people filed a lawsuit in his name without seeking his consent.
The case which he claimed is ongoing at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, the state capital reportedly had his name as one of the complainants.
He however insisted that he has no acquaintance with one Oseni Ajayi, Yusuf Ajibawo and Akande Lawal mentioned as co-complainants in the suit.
“I learnt that they called a case at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta. The file number of the case is 178/2 but I don’t know anything this about this lawsuit.
“They said the lawyer that filed the case is at Lekki, Lagos state while he has a jurisdiction lawyer in Abeokuta. The lawyer that filed the case, I don’t know him. I don’t know the jurisdiction lawyer either.
“The person that filed the lawsuit, Oseni Ajayi, Yusuf Ajibawo and Akande Lawal; I don’t know them. All the community members of ilu Ijako Orile don’t know them. We don’t know them and they don’t have the right to litigate on our behalf.
“When I did not have a lawsuit and I did not sign for oath before the court, and they have been hearing the case at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta.
“But, why my name, Onijako of Ijako was among the complainant is what is surprising me”, the monarch said.
He further noted that the Ijako community have petitioned the Commissioner of Police in the state over the trouble caused by land grabbers.
“The media should know that what is in this lawsuit is different from the petition at Area Command, Ewekoro with the Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“The names in the petition are different from the names in the lawsuit.”
He added, “It seems land grabbers that have seen the land mass of the community are behind it.”
The traditional ruler also recounted that there is a threat to assassinate him, narrating that an unknown men had waylaid him in recent time.
“One of those that I suspected would have filed this false lawsuit had once waylaid on my way with his car, and until I called the Divisional Police Officer, that was what steered him up to drove away from the scene after about one hour thirty minutes that we were at the scene.”
The mother of the monarch, Adijat Akinsola (Nee Ewedairo), who also spoke at the press briefing pleaded that the government come to their aid for the interlopers not to kill them.
“Please, help us, don’t let them kill us”, the old woman begged.
The monarch also said, “I appeal to the people and government to come to our aid for them not to kill me, because that is how they’ve been killing traditional rulers in recent time.”