…Community Leader Snatches Crown Over Seating Order Dispute
…Youths Demand Justice for ‘Abomination Against Yoruba Heritage’
Daud Olatunji
Pandemonium broke out in Igbokoda, the administrative seat of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, after a prominent community leader launched a shocking and violent attack on the traditional ruler of the town, the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Odidiomo Afolabi.
The monarch was reportedly assaulted and had a portion of his ear bitten off in full public view — just moments before Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was due to arrive for the commissioning of the newly completed 27.5-kilometre Igbokoda-Okitipupa dual carriageway.
Eyewitness accounts said the attack, described as both “brutal and sacrilegious”, began over a disagreement regarding the seating arrangement at the ceremonial venue.
The traditional ruler had allegedly asked the said community leader — whose name is being withheld pending police confirmation — to vacate a seat reserved for royal fathers.
This request reportedly enraged the assailant, who launched a verbal tirade against the monarch before lunging at him.
In the violent scuffle that followed, the man was said to have snatched the monarch’s crown and royal beads before biting off a section of Oba Odidiomo’s ear.
Shocking video footage and photographs obtained by PLATFORM TIMES show the monarch bleeding profusely from the head as palace aides and sympathisers rushed to support him.
The monarch was subsequently whisked away to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment and was forced to withdraw from the state function.
Governor Aiyedatiwa later arrived for the commissioning but had yet to issue any formal statement on the incident as of press time.
The assault, which took place in a politically charged environment, has triggered outrage across the community and beyond. Residents, traditional chiefs, and Yoruba socio-cultural advocates have condemned the incident, describing it as a desecration of the traditional institution.
By Tuesday morning, angry youths, women, and community elders took to the streets of Igbokoda in protest, some half-clad in a symbolic display of mourning and defiance.
The demonstrators marched through the town chanting solidarity songs and demanding justice.
“This is not just an attack on our Kabiyesi; it is an abomination against Yoruba culture,” said one protester.
“To attack a king, in public, and in such a disgraceful manner — it’s unheard of. That man has committed a taboo that must not go unpunished.”
Sources close to the Olu’s palace told PLATFORM TIMES that a formal petition is being prepared for submission to the state government and security agencies. However, the Ondo State Police Command has yet to confirm receiving any formal report on the matter.
“We are not aware of any such case at this moment. No report has been filed,” the command’s spokesperson, SP Olusola Ayanlade, told PLATFORM TIMES.
As tension continues to simmer in the town, there are growing concerns about the erosion of respect for traditional authority and the rising clashes between local political actors and royal institutions in some parts of the state.
Prominent voices across the state have called for immediate action, urging Governor Aiyedatiwa to ensure the matter is swiftly investigated and that the perpetrator is held accountable to preserve the sanctity of Yoruba traditional leadership.
The incident, which observers say could have serious cultural and political implications, remains the talk of the state as residents await decisive action from authorities.
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