By Bayo Bernard
Since May 23, 2003, when Oba Rilwan Akiolu ascended the throne as the Oba of Lagos, it has been one day one controversy, so much so that many Lagosians and, indeed, Nigerians now see him in the mould of a trouble maker who courts problem at every available occasion.
Therefore, when the Monarch disclosed recently, that he lost over two million US Dollars to hoodlums who invaded his palace in October, 2020, during the symbolic protest against police brutality, known as EndSARS, many were not surprised that his people, who always complained of his oppressive reign, finally had the opportunity to give him back in kind.
Apart from regular complaints of his agents and family members, allegedly, forcefully seizing lands belonging to other families on the Island, the monarch has come under fire for trying to institute a new ruling house that will bear his name, so that his bloodline will be able to contest for the Obaship.
According to those acquainted with the kingship issue in the state, Akiolu is believed not to be a Prince, a claim he vehemently rejects and should not have been crowned a king. They believe that it was former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, who imposed him on other candidates. The challenge to his Obaship went up to the Courts, but it has since been decided in Akiolu’s favour.
Yet, the matter is still causing furore in the state and may have formed part of the reasons why the youths attacked his palace, to drive their points home, sources told the magazine.
The angry mob also stole N17 million belonging to him, apart from escaping with his staff of office at his Iga Idungaran palace on the Lagos Island, an action described as a sacrilege by the youths.
Following Oba Akiolu’s revelation, the first poser that came to the minds of many, is not whether the monarch is rich enough to have such humungous amount, rather, what amazes the critics of the former police officer, is why such amount should be kept in the palace, knowing fully well that it is against the country’s money laundry laws. Some people have also questioned the rationality of keeping such humungous amount of money in his palace at a time that many Lagosians were going through rough times, as a result of the economic hardship in the country, one of the reasons cited by the leaders of the Endsars to stage the protest against the government.
On the law aspect of o keeping money, Akiolu should know, being a lawyer, and a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and a lawyer.
Oba Akiolu who spoke on the attack on March 4, at the official hand over of the remodeled Glover Memorial Hall, Customs Street, Lagos Island, by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the federal Government must come to the assistance of the State to cushion the effects of private and public property destroyed by hoodlums who hijacked the protest to unleash mayhem on the state.
The Governor Sanwo Olu-led administration said the State lost more than a trillion Naira to the protest which, also, took place across the country as Nigerians, particularly, youths demanded government to be more responsive to their plights.
But on his personal loss, the monarch said “I will support anything that will move Lagos forward. I have appealed to the Federal Government to assist Lagos with what we have suffered. The incident that happened here from October 20th to 23rd is so saddening. The destruction we suffered in Lagos is so enormous than in any other part of the country. Many buildings were burnt, including vehicles used to generate income. I can now say publicly that they stole away from my palace $2 million and N17 million.’
He added: “The hoodlums will not go scot free, even though those who committed the offence would not have done that if they knew the implication. But as a father, I won’t place any curse on them,” Akiolu said.
It was the first time that Oba Akiolu had experienced such a brazen attack on his Palace since he was selected by kingmakers with the help of APC National Leader
For somebody, who by sheer fate rose to that position, many expect him to carry himself in a way that he would be respected by all and sundry, as traditional rulers in his class would normally do. They don’t think he has lived upto that expectation.
This is sad, according to close watchers of events in the country who insist that traditional rulers are supposed to be revered considering their positions in the society, particularly in Yorubaland where Obas are regarded as Igbakeji Orisa ( second only to God), that should not be offended to avoid serious consequence from the gods.
“The Yoruba mythology gives so much power to traditional rulers because of the belief that they are the representatives of the Almighty on earth. The people believe that their word is law, and as such their subject would do nothing to go against their will for fear of being punished by the supernatural. Despite their enormous powers, there are institutional checks and balances to checkmate the excesses of unruly and selfish Obas who may want to trample on the rights of their people by being oppressive and abusive of the authority given to them by the gods,” Adedeji Ibrahim, a traditionalist from Ikorodu told the magazine.
According to him, the aura that surrounds Yoruba traditional institution has almost been broken by the way some of them behave “to the extent that their subjects are wondering whether, they are indeed, they are representatives of the gods on earth. Imagine that traditional rulers, who are supposed to defend the interests of their subjects, now connive with politicians to oppress and take away what belongs to the people. That’s the highest level of offence against the gods and that’s why Olodumare has left them to ridicule.”
During the October protest, Oba Akiolu was captured in camera running away from his Palace alongside his police security after some angry youths laid siege on his palace, with the intension of lynching or killing him sources said, because they regard him as one of those who are making life difficult for them. The angry mob, also, stole his staff of office, which former Governor Tinubu presented to him 18 years ago during his inauguration to replace Oba Adeyinka Oyekan who had passed to join his progenitors. The stolen staff of office, the magazine learnt, had yet to be returned, even though Akiolu said it has been found. Some of his Chiefs had earlier placed a curse on the hoodlums who invaded the Oba’s palace, warning that they will die if they refused to return the traditional staff.
But in January, a popular Lagos chief, Balogun Oyeyemi Abisoye, also known as Balogun Eko, based in Germany shared a nine minutes video where he said Akiolu has lost the moral authority to remain in his position after losing the staff of office. Claiming that Lagos currently has no king Abisoye said the missing staff is currently with him.
Abisoye who has been attacking Akiolu for months on social media, over what he called his connivance with Tinubu to corner the resources of the state, called on other notable Lagos chieftains to tell Oba Akiolu the truth that he has failed the people of Lagos as a king and as a father and that his time is up.
Abisoye also claimed in one of his viral videos that Akiolu is not a Prince, that he was brought into the house of one of the ruling families, who later helped him to join the Police Force. Even though the magazine could not verify the claim, the angry members are unhappy that Akiolu, having been assisted into the Force, used the position to oppress those he perceives as his enemies, and has even become more ruthless since he became an Oba as he allegedly showed no mercy to anyone who dared to stand on his way.
Attacks on Akiolu have been growing for years, but have even become worse in recent times, particularly, when, ahead the 2015 general election, he said igbo people living in Lagos will perish in the lagoon if they failed to vote for Akinwumi Ambode, the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in that election.
Ambode had picked the ticket ahead of Supo Sasore, the Lagos state Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General, who had the backing of Babatunde Fashola, the Governor of the state at the time, who had broken ranks with Tinubu on who should take over from the former.
The opposition PDP, many said, was planning to cash in on the division in APC to win the state for the first time, which did not go well with many powers that-be including Akiolu who threw caution to the wind by attacking the Igbo which many believe can deliver a block vote for the PDP candidate to win.
He said “On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos State, the person is going to die inside this water.
“I’m not ready to beg you. Nobody knew how I picked Ambode. Jimi (Agbaje) is my blood relation and I told him that he cannot be Governor in Lagos for now. The future belongs to God. I am not begging anybody, but what you people cannot do in Onitsha, Aba or anywhere, don’t do it here. If you do what I want, Lagos will continue to be prosperous for you. If you go against my wish, you will perish in the water.”
He said Ambode must rule for eight years because “I am for the progress, growth and development of Lagos. Ambode is highly cerebral, he’s a symbol and he is going to deliver the message which I, the Oba of Lagos, have said. And he will govern the state for another eight years.” Ambode eventually won the election after defeating Jimi Agbaje of the PDP.
For making such careless comments, some Nigerians and prominent Igbo leaders such as writer Chinamanda Adichie, Rita Dominic and former PFN President and others did not only upbraid the Monarch, they chided him for trying to sow the seed of discord in the country. To make things worse for him, Ambode eventually fell out with Tinubu who ensured that he did not get a second term in office.
The igbo are, however, not the only victims of Akiolu’s acerbic assault considering what former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other prominent people in the country have suffered from the googled traditional ruler.
For instance, when a disagreement ensued between Lagos state and the Federal Government in 2002 over the disbursement of Local Government funds, after the state controversially created additional 20 Local Councils, Akiolu somehow turned himself to the official spokesman of the State, attacking the Federal Government and President Obasanjo.
Even though some analysts had criticised the Federal Government for withholding Lagos funds, they did not also spare the Traditional Ruler for taking side on a matter they believe should have had a bipartisan approach, knowing its far-reaching effects on the country as a whole.The funds were later released to the state after the Supreme Court ruled on the matter. But not a few has forgotten the role played by Akiolu as an interloper, in a matter that many insist should have been left to state actors to decide.
The dust had yet to settle over the matter when the traditional ruler blamed the former leader for the Federal Government’s failure to grant a special status to Lagos as the economic hub of the country, which he said would have made the Centre of Excellence, as the state is called, to be at par with other mega cities across the world.
The Monarch claimed that Obasanjo had told him he had already drafted the document to grant the state a special status, but failed in his whole eight years as president to make it happen, adding that late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua would have done it if not that he died in office.
The traditional ruler has ensured that he used any public occasions to attack the former president. Thus following the re-election of President Buhari in 2019, Akiolu said Obasanjo has lost influence, adding that the former leader is among the people creating problems in the country
Akiolu said “I had said that Buhari would win even before the election, unfortunately, the number one person creating problems in this country is former President, Obasanjo.He arrogated to himself the powers of the Almighty Allah by saying it was the support he gave to Buhari that made him win the first term.
“Obasanjo said Buhari would not win the second term but did Buhari not win? Did I not say Obasanjo will be disappointed by the time the results were announced.The president’s victory clearly shows power belongs to God only and no man can decide who leads the country.”
On his part, the former President has ignored the monarch despite his constant attacks on his person, as close sources to Obasanjo insist that his action is due to the respect he has for the traditional institution in the country, therefore “he would not stoop so low to engaging the Oba of Lagos or any traditional ruler for that matter because tradition forbids it. As a true son and bastion of Yoruba culture in his position as Balogun of Owu Kingdom, former President Obasanjo has shown from his antecedents that he respects all the Obas in Yoruba land who are the custodians of our culture,” an aide to the ex-leader who is not authorized to speak on the issue said on Monday.
But if Obasanjo will ignore Akiolu for his, sometimes, unguarded comments and action, which many believe demean his position as a foremost traditional ruler in the country, not so with other Nigerians who have also criticized him for his disrespect for the traditional institution he represents, after he ignored the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi at a public function, four years ago in Lagos.
The matter drew public angert, particularly among leaders in the South-west, against Akiolu who was later forced to issue a statement that his action was misconstrued. “There is no sentiment in the culture of Lagos. As we met it, that is the way we are doing it. Kabiyesi Oba Akiolu is trying to bring back the old pattern, the old culture we have left behind. What happened that day was wrongly speculated by the social media to disrupt peace and order and misinterpret Oba Akiolu’s action. We just want to appeal to the social media to stop spreading wrong information.
“They should try and understand the reason behind every action carried out, most especially by traditional rulers. “Yoruba has a very rich culture. There is no quarrel between the Oba of Lagos and Ooni of Ife,” the traditional ruler said in a statement released by his palace, to clear the air that he had a rift with the Ooni Ogunwusi, regarded among many Yoruba as the head of all traditional rulers in the south west. He had also had a cold relationship with Ooni Ogunwusi’s predecessor over his constant attack against the Oba.
Recall that Oba Akiolu had earlier stirred the hornet’s nest after he claimed that his people hailed from Benin, Edo State, rather than Ife where Yoruba believe is the cradle of civilization, where they all came from as the descendants of Oduduwa.
