… They Remain Awori Guests,Not Indigenes- Olota
Ibrahim Olamilekan & Uthman Akinola
Tensions are escalating in Ogun State as the Gbalefa Traditional Council of Baales in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government has accused the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, of encroaching on their lands and attempting to assert control over Egba/Egbado communities.
The chiefs have called on the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun to intervene swiftly to avert a potential crisis.
Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the General Secretary of the Gbalefa Traditional Council, Chief Olaniyi Mosaku, alleged that the Olota has been illegally installing Baales in communities outside his jurisdiction.
Mosaku, flanked by the council’s chairman, Chief Sokunbi Oyero, and other members, claimed that this move is a deliberate attempt by the Olota to assert dominance over their communities.
“We are under the siege of the Olota of Ota,” Mosaku said.
“He has been installing Baales in areas where legitimate Baales already exist, outside the jurisdiction of Ota.
“We call on the Alake of Egbaland and other Egba traditional rulers to prevail on the Olota to respect boundaries.”
The chiefs expressed frustration over what they described as the “intimidation and harassment” they have faced.
Mosaku further alleged that the Olota’s incursions extended to areas like Kajola Iboro, despite a judgment by the Ogun State High Court recognizing the lands as Egba/Egbado territory.
The Gbalefa chiefs called on Governor Abiodun and the state’s Attorney General to investigate the Olota’s alleged actions and uphold the territorial integrity of their communities.
They warned that continued provocation might lead to violent resistance.
“We are peace-loving people,” Mosaku said. “But we are getting tired of the intimidation.
“We have adhered to the instructions of our principals – the Alake of Egbaland, the Osile of Oke Ona Egba, the Olowu of Owu, and the Agura of Gbagura – to maintain peace. However, we will not concede any part of our territory to the Aworis.”
Chief Sokunbi Oyero, the council’s chairman, echoed the concerns, lamenting that the crisis has persisted for too long.
He alleged that some market lands and cemeteries in their communities have already been sold off by the “invaders.”
“We are tired of this situation,” Oyero said. “If these attacks continue, we might have no choice but to respond in ways we have avoided so far.”
In a sharp response, the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, dismissed the allegations, describing the Egba/Egbado chiefs as “guests” on Aworiland.
The monarch argued that the lands in question belong to the Awori people, not the Egba/Egbado communities.
“There is nothing like Gbalefa in Ogun State,” Oba Obalanlege said.
“It is not even on the map of Ogun State. These people are being backed by their traditional rulers to cause unrest. The government and the courts have made it clear that these areas are part of Otaland.”
The Olota maintained that the Egba people, whose ancestors allegedly migrated to farm and live on Aworiland, have no claim to the land.
“They are not Baales; who appointed them?” he asked. “Can you go to another land and become traditional rulers over the indigenes? It is not possible. They remain our guests, not indigenes.”
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