Residents of Yakoyo Community in Ojodu, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, have raised concerns over alleged harassment, intimidation, and extortion by police officers reportedly acting on behalf of the Olofin of Isheri, Oba Sulaiman Adekunle Bamgbade, and his associates, Isiaka Azeez and Funmi Obaseki.
During a press conference held at Yakoyo, the Baale of Yakoyo, Alani Obayomi, alongside community development leaders, accused Oba Bamgbade of resorting to self-help tactics despite an ongoing legal battle over land ownership. The dispute, filed as suit HCF/200/2022, is currently before the Ogun State High Court.
Obayomi recounted an incident from December 2021, when Isiaka Azeez allegedly declared himself the Baale of Yakoyo and, along with three others, forcefully entered the community, injuring several residents.
One of those alleged to have been harmed was Funmi Obaseki, a former community secretary who has since allegedly turned against the community.
Kunle Onipede, legal adviser to the Progressive Community Development Area in Yakoyo, expressed frustration over continuous police harassment.
“We don’t understand the relationship between Olofin, Isiaka Azeez, and Funmi Obaseki, but what we do know is that they have been using the police to intimidate our community. We have been repeatedly summoned to Alagbon, Zone 2, and Ojodu Abiodun police station over baseless allegations,” he stated.
The community noted that their appeals to traditional and government authorities, including the Alake of Egbaland, the Ogun State House of Assembly, the Governor’s office, and Ifo Local Government, have yet to yield results in curbing the unrest.
Olatunde Onipede, the Apesin Ola of Ojodu Land and Amuludun of Yakoyo, recounted his ordeal at the hands of the police. He and his wife, Oluwaseun Onipede, were allegedly detained on accusations leveled by Funmi Obaseki.
“We were invited to the police station, and without proper investigation, we were detained and later charged to court. While taking my wife to prison, the officers stopped at Olofin’s palace, where the king instructed her to convince me to withdraw from the ongoing land case,” Onipede alleged.
Two elderly residents, Mr. Tahiru and Mr. Osundiji, who have lived in the community for over 40 years, lamented the financial burden imposed by repeated court cases and police extortion.
“We are spending our pensions on bailing ourselves out every time we are falsely accused by Funmi Obaseki,” they said.
The community also accused the Divisional Police Officer of Ojodu Abiodun, CSP Ejalonibu, of being compromised.
They called for an independent investigation by the Inspector General of Police’s office into the alleged actions of the Olofin of Isheri and his allies, which they claim have destabilized the Yakoyo Community and violated residents’ rights.
As tensions continue to rise, the residents of Yakoyo await intervention from authorities to restore peace and ensure justice in their community.