Irate youths of Igburowo community in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo have, on Sunday, chased away their paramount ruler, Oba Pius Akinfesola Adewole, from his palace over alleged gross corruption and indiscipline.
The youths marched to the palace around 6am in the morning, barricaded roads leading to the community and forced the monarch to trek several kilometers to a village on the Ondo-Ore highway where they left him. In the words of the Youth Leader of the community, Mr. Samuel Adeyemi, “the protest was carried out to show our dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the monarch.”
Mr. Adeyemi further alleged that the traditional ruler was accused of engaging in fraud, forcible acquisition of land belonging to his subjects, frivolous litigation over subject’s property, non-performance of traditional rites and assaulting his chiefs and subjects.
The villagers were said to have earlier written a protest letter, dated August 3, 2012, which was signed by about 21 of their representatives, representing various interest groups, including high chiefs, female chiefs, otherwise called Opoji in local parlance, as well as male and female natives, members of Igburowo Development Committee (IDC), youth association and the secretary of the Akinbumiti Ruling House. The letter was addressed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. Apparently, nobody had taken any actions regarding their plea.
