Ogun: Group Kick Against Alleged Appointment Of Adeosun As Head of Itoku Traditional Council

….says he is an ex-convict
….Berates Kehinde Sofenwa roles

A socio cultural group, Itoku Development Association, an umbrella body of all patriotic indigenes of Itoku township and villages have kicked against the alleged appointment of Chief Semiu Adeosun as the head of Itoku Traditional Council by Chief Kehinde Sofenwa.

The Association warned that the Itoku which is one of the towns in Egbaland can not accept the appointment of an ex-convict to be the head of the traditional council for the town.

Chief Semiu Adeosun, who is Apesin of Itoku, it could be recalled, was recently arrested and charged to the Chief Magistrate Court in Mowe/Ibafo on charge number; MOC/140/2023 and got convicted for two (2) years jail term with N200,000 option of fine on Monday, 6th day of March, 2023 for failure to produce Chief Sodamola who he stands surety for and the latter jumped bail.

In a release signed by Mr. Kazeem Adejola, the Itoku Development Association, kicked against the appointment of Adeosun and also frowned at the action of Chief Kehinde Sofenwa in appointing Adejola as head of traditional chiefs on Itoku

Speaking on the reasons for the rejection, the Association recalled “criminal allegations against the Oluwo Itoku, Chief Olusoji Sodamola and the Odofin Itoku – Chief Kehinde Sofenwa at one time or the other, making both of them run out of the Country in order to escape prosecution and face legal consequences of their inimical actions.

“In the year 2023; during the visit of the Obas, Chiefs and Egba sons and daughters of Egbaland to Lisabi forest as part of the activities marking the year’s Lisabi festival, Chief Sodamola was alleged to have attacked, at gun point, one of the Baales of Orile Itoku villages – Chief Elijah Osoba (Baale Afo Itoku) on Thursday, 16th February, 2023, accusing him of being a part of the team that confronted him (Oluwo Itoku) and some Itoku chiefs on illegal sales of the resources of the commonwealth of Itoku and diverted the money into their personal purse”, the association recounted.

The Association went further that Chief Sodamola and two other accomplices in the case; Monsuru Odedeyi and Saidi Ogunbodede were reported at Owode Egba Divisional Police Station and arrested but later released on Police administrative bail to Chief Semiu Adeosun on Saturday, 18th February, 2023 with directives to report back the following Monday.

Surprisingly, Chief Sodamola jumped bail and traveled to the United Kingdom.

Consequently, his surety, Chief Semiu Adeosun (Apesin Itoku) was arrested and charged to the Chief Magistrate Court in Mowe/Ibafo on charge number; MOC/140/2023 and got convicted for two (2) years jail term with N200,000 option of fine on Monday, 6th day of March, 2023 for failure to produce Chief Sodamola who had been at large.

The Association further lamented that the Oluwo has ran away completely to the extent that he has jettisoned the traditional, customary and cultural roles he has to play annually as the Oluwo Itoku since that time for fear of being arrested by the police; moreso, that the two accomplices in the case; Monsuru Odedeyi and Saidi Ogunbodede are currently facing criminal trial on the case via charge number; MOC/316C/2023 at the Chief Magistrate Court, Owode Egba.

The absence of Chief Sodamola in Nigeria and Itoku for the past few years have paved the way for the emergence of Chief Kehinde Sofenwa from Baagbile Itoku to Odofin (next to Oluwo) Itoku and the acting head of the Traditional Council.

It was also learnt that Chief Sofenwa persisted in the sales of the resources of the commonwealth of Itoku and used the power of Ogboni Itoku to forcefully take possession of the properties of the people thereby creating series of crisis resulting in court cases between the Chiefs and concerned people of Itoku township and villages. On Tuesday, the 20th day of February, 2024; the Honourable Justice Adefunmilola A. Demi – Ajayi, Judge of the Federal High Court Two, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta delivered a judgement in favour of six (6) Baales from Orile Itoku against Chief Olusoji Sodamola (Oluwo Itoku), Chief Kehinde Sofenwa (Odofin Itoku) and six others.

The Baales are Chief Adebesin Ifaloseyi (Baale Olorunda Village), Chief Elijah Osoba (Baale Afo Village), Chief Tajudeen Abiodun (Baale Ayegbe Village), Chief Isamotu Salau (Baale Mosafejo Village), Chief Osoko Toheeb (Baale Lube Village) and Chief Aliu Sodipo (Baale Ebiran Village).

ADVERTISEMENT

The Court also declared illegal, unlawful, null and void; the persistent use of Police in Ogun State Police Command to victimize, humiliate, harass, molest, arrest and detain the Baales for challenging these Chiefs on the illegal sales of the resources of Itoku in Orile Itoku villages The court further awarded a sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) as compensation to the Baales for the humiliations and threats caused them and awarded additional N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) as cost against them with additional directive to publish, in two dailies, public apologies to the Baales.

The Itoku Development Association also hinted that Chief Kehinde Sofenwa, Odofin Itoku and Chief Seyi Onifade who is the Jagunna Aje of Itoku were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court I in Isabo, Abeokuta on the 13th December, 2023 on charge number: MA/599C/2023 for malicious damages of a building belonging to the family of Mr. Waheed Balogun of Oke-Itoku, Abeokuta and stealing of the roofing sheets and planks of the building.
Obviously disturbed by trends of development, especially, on criminal cases on the ground, both Oluwo Itoku and Odofin Itoku have left the shores of the country to avoid justice and decided to put the headship of Itoku Traditional Council on Chief Semiu Adeosun, the Apesin Itoku who has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction, apparently as a crony to protect their interest and continue the group’s illicit acts.

The Association, while rejecting the appointment of Chief Semiu Adeosun as the head of Itoku Traditional Council noted that there are other responsible high chiefs among Ogboni Itoku who could be given such responsibilities and reiterate that it will not relent on its oasis until normalcy returns to Itoku township and villages