Aggrieved residents of Osun town bar monarch from palace

There was a mild drama on Saturday when some aggrieved indigenes of Ikirun in Osun State prevented their newly appointed monarch, Yinusa Akadiri, from gaining entrance into his palace.

The aggrieved indigenes locked the palace gate, tied charms across the gate to show their dissatisfaction with the mode of selecting their traditional ruler and rejected the appointment of Mr Akadiri.

The action was to prevent the monarch and his chiefs from accessing the palace.

Funke Egbemode, the commissioner for information and civic orientation, had on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mr Akadiri as the new Akinrun of Ikirun land.

The commissioner said the appointment followed majority votes in his favour at a meeting of Ikirun kingmakers held on 19th November 2021.

Shortly after the announcement, residents of the community, especially the youths, trooped out to protest against Mr Akadiri’s appointment on the ground that he was not entitled to the position.

When the protest was becoming violent, security personnel were deployed to the area to restore peace.

Kehinde Adeyanju, a trader at the popular Oja Oba Market in Ikirun, told PREMIUM TIMES that the actions of the aggrieved indigens was to prevent the monarch and his chiefs from accessing the palace.

“Many people don’t want that man, that is why they’re fighting,” said Mr Adeyanju.

“They protested on Wednesday but the police and Amotekun had overpower them. On Saturday, we just see them at the palace gate, locking the gate so that the Kabiyesi and his chiefs will not be able to enter the palace.”

Mr Adeyanju said the aggrieved protesters comprising youths carried guns and charms while they were locking the palace gate.

“They held guns and charms shouting that they do not want the new Kabiyesi, they are mainly the youths.”

Meanwhile, the Akinrun in Council in a statement appealed to the aggrieved residents not to take laws into their hands.

“While we concede that it’s not abnormal to be aggrieved where a particular expectation failed to materialize in one’s favour, we however consider resorting to self-help as a means of settling scores very much avoidable and abhorrent.

“It is on that note we call for the promotion of calmness, harmony and tranquillity that the wise and industrious people are reputed for.”