Iresa-Adu, Oyo State – A simmering chieftaincy dispute over the Aresa-Adu throne in Iresa-Adu has boiled over, leading to a police investigation into a ward councillor for alleged threats to life. The controversy centers on an interview aired by “IRESA TV” which implicated a prominent state official in efforts to prolong the succession crisis.
Councillor Nelson Adeniran of Iresa-Adu Ward is currently under police investigation at the Ogbomoso Police Area Command following a petition filed by Mr. Adeleke Adepoju, Mayowa Abiodun, and Afolabi Oluranti. The trio, who manage the IRESA TV Facebook page dedicated to promoting Iresa cultural heritage, allege that Adeniran issued threats against them in an apparent attempt to protect Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, the Oyo State Commissioner of Agriculture. The petition has also been forwarded to the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
The escalating tension stems from a May 2025 interview conducted by IRESA TV with Pa Julius Olanipekun, the Mogaji of the Emiolu Ruling House. In the interview, Pa Olanipekun openly expressed his frustration, accusing certain individuals within his own family of deliberately sabotaging their longstanding legal battle for the Aresa-Adu throne. He explicitly mentioned “Lasun Olaleye” as one of the alleged saboteurs.
The name “Lasun Olaleye” is strongly associated with Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, the Commissioner of Agriculture, who also reportedly hails from the Emiolu Ruling House and has been a contender for the embattled throne since 2019.
Following the interview’s release, supporters of the Commissioner have reportedly resorted to both social media and physical threats against the management and staff of IRESA TV. While efforts to reach Commissioner Olaleye for comment have been unsuccessful, online evidence suggests numerous verbal attacks and aggressions from his followers directed at the online platform.
The Mogaji of Emiolu, Pa Olanipekun, elaborated in the interview that the ongoing court case at the Ibadan High Court, seeking justice for the Aresa-Adu throne, pits the Emiolu family against Prince Adeyeye Oyerinde, who claims to be the current Aresa-Adu. Pa Olanipekun accused a few individuals within the Emiolu family of orchestrating a disruption on the final day of hearing, April 30, 2025. This alleged sabotage involved introducing a new lawyer and a new motion, forcing an adjournment and delaying a speedy trial that had been progressing until then.
A circulating court document from April 2025 lists Lafenwa Popoola, Timothy Tuwagun, Kola Oladipo, and Oladele Olaleye as claimants who allegedly feigned ignorance of the court case, which commenced in August 2024. Prince Tunwagun, an elder from the Emiolu family, identified Oladele Olaleye as the brother of Commissioner Olasunkanmi Olaleye. Prince Tunwagun further lamented, “The family have asked the Commissioner several times to leave government and contest like every other candidate instead of orchestrating delay tactics since 2019. It is now going 7 years, we do not have a king, the family is fed up, the Kingmakers are fed up, Iresa-Adu town is fed up, which is why our Mogaji have been forced to speak out publicly.”
Sources indicate that Commissioner Olaleye previously served as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for nearly two years, from 2022 to 2023. Prince Jimoh stated, “Lasun was the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters from 2022 to 2023 and yet, he could not resolve Aresa-Adu matter. We have been engulfed by a rollercoaster of meaningless court cases. However, this latest move by these four individuals, including Lasun’s younger brother, proves the family’s years-long suspicions about the Commissioner.”
Chief Michael Lana, a former Attorney General of Oyo State, has been representing the Emiolu family in the current Ibadan High Court case. Despite his legal efforts, Mogaji Olanipekun’s frustration in the interview was palpable. Prince Oladipupo recounted, “The family lost a case which started in 2019, case HOI/4/2019 here in Orile-Igbon, we lost that case on 24th March 2023. We lost a 4-year long case in the same month Governor Seyi Makinde got re-elected. 4 days after the re-election. A case that Olasunkanmi was the main consultant for the legal team, draw your own conclusions.”
The direct mention of “Lasun Olaleye” by Pa Julius Olanipekun in the viral interview has undeniably fueled negative reactions towards Commissioner Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye. Since its release, some youths from Iresa-Adu, believed to be followers of the Commissioner, have been actively posting on the IRESA TV Facebook page, ostensibly to protect his image. Police are currently investigating further allegations of threats to life in connection with this unfolding dispute.
