Posted by From AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Former Director of Budget in the Presidency, Chief Omowale Kuye and the embattled director of Odu'a Investment Company Limited, Alhaji Olawale Oladoja, Friday, had a taste of the Lamidi Adedibu rampage that has become a traditional ritual of terror from the old man in Molete via his aides.
Former Director of Budget in the Presidency, Chief Omowale Kuye and the embattled director of Odu'a Investment Company Limited, Alhaji Olawale Oladoja, Friday, had a taste of the Lamidi Adedibu rampage that has become a traditional ritual of terror from the old man in Molete via his aides.
It was however ironical that the attack was staged at the most unusual place which is supposed to be a place of peace and reverence to God and humanity - at the Eid prayer ground Agodi, Ibadan.
While the Olubadan High Chief whom Adedibu is next to in traditional rank just had his feathers slightly ruffled over prayer position, the other victim, the Odu'a director was not that lucky as he lost his official car to the hired muscles of the Moltete chief. The people behind the act said Adedibu should be left out of the saga. By their statement, the alleged act was actually committed, but not for politics, rather as property recovery drive for the conglomerate.
While Kuye, who is Ekeerin (fourth in rank) to Olubadan, was molested for positioning himself in front of the strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, at the Eid Ground, Oladoja had his official Toyota Camry car seized by the hoodlums.
Adedibu came next in rank to Kuye as the Ekaarun (fifth in rank) to the Olubadan, after fruitless efforts by the old politician to claim the Ekeerin title immediately after the demise of the last Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Yunusa Ogundipe, Arapasowu 1.
But in a swift reaction, an aide to Adedibu, Alhaji Taofeek Olayiwola, debunked the incident, saying it should not be linked to Adedibu as the two personalities are good friends.
The miscreants had swooped on Kuye and asked him to leave the front row, where he intended to observe his prayer as the representative of Olubadan at the Sallah prayer session.
The hoodlums, Sunday Sun learnt, had protested that Adedibu would never queue behind Kuye, pointing out to the High Chief that the Eid Ground was not the palace of Olubadan.
'Do you want us to pray behind you? Should our Baba pray behind you? Will you move behind or do you think we are in Olubadan palace? Come on, move away!", one of the miscreants yelled at Kuye.
In response to the protest, High Chief Kuye quietly left his position to another area of the Eid Ground where he observed his prayer. When contacted for his reaction on the incident, he declined to comment, saying he would not want to join issues with anybody.
'I don't want to join issues with anybody. All I know is that I said my prayers quietly and left the praying ground quietly. Thank you", Kuye said.
Alhaji Oladoja, the second victim of the torment and intimidation narrated how about eight thugs swooped on him immediately after the prayer session and ordered him out of his Toyota Camry official car.
Rough ride
He said he was later asked to enter his car and driven to Testing Ground Police Station, Iwo Road, where the car was parked and he was asked to enter another car belonging to one of the thugs.
'They took me to somewhere near Alhaji Arisekola-Alao's house and parked near his gate while some of them entered the house. Few minutes after, they came out and said they were instructed not to kill me or injure me.
"From there, they brought me to Molete and dropped me under the bridge and asked one of them to stand guard by me. It was from there I miraculously managed to escape on an okada. As I am talking to you now, my car has been taken to Molete's residence of Alhaji
Adedibu", Oladoja narrated.
It's property recovery drive
But Adedibu's aide stated that the Oladoja episode has nothing to do with politicsnor Adedibu, saying that the embattled Odu'a director has held on to the property of the investment conglomerate, despite series of disclaimers against him by the investment company.
'There were series of advertisement in the newspapers and other media outfits that he is no longer a director of Odu'a group. He was asked to return all properties of Odu'a in his care including his official car but he refused.
'He has all along been parading himself as a director of Odu'a when he is not. So, if Odu'a investment could find any means to retrieve its property from him, what is anybody's problem about that? It is not Baba's boys that took his vehicle and it has no political undertone at all. We should not link Baba to it", Olayiwola explained.
Leave Odu'a out
He denied that the car was at Molete, saying it has been deposited at a police station. But Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Miss Olabisi Okuwobi, denied any such development, when called yesterday.
On the harassment of Kuye by suspected thugs, Babatunde said: 'Nothing like that happened. It was a blatant lie. Chief Kuye and Baba are good friends. But even, if such incident happened, you should not trace it to Baba. Baba cannot do that", he added.
Meanwhile, the Media Relations Manager of Odu'a group, Mr. Victor Ayetoro, has denied any involvement of the company in what happened to Oladoja, saying the company only asked the police to help it recover its properties from the embattled director.
'It is unthinkable to link a corporate organization like Odu'a with thugs. It is true that Oladoja had been removed as a director of the company. He has refused to surrender the official car and other properties of the company in his possession. He was not the only director that was removed, others have returned their cars as well.
'We have reported to the police. We have handed over the case to them. You may contact the police to know if the car had been recovered and how", the Odu'a official stated.