Royal family kicks as Lagos monarch sells land, installs puppet as Olumegbon of Ajah              

The Olumegbon Chieftancy Family of Ajah and Okuyn-Ajah kingdom has raised the alarm over alleged “unwarranted incursion of a Lagos monarch who was an ex-policeman in the affairs of the family.

The General Secretary of the family for the past 36 years, Alhaji Machado Adedina, on Monday accused the monarch of terrorising the entire family, as well as selling their ancestral land using his police clout.

He noted that the monarch had even placed a Caveat emptor on the vast land simply because he assisted their forebears financially while in court with their customary tenants even though he had be adequately compensated.

According to the 77-year-old man, he was recently arrested by the Lagos monarch and detained for 32 days at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos State for no offence without bail just because he challenged the traditional ruler that his action was illegal and unjust.

He said while in detention he lost his memory, fell ill and was rushed to the police hospital Ikoyi during which the police contacted the Lagos monarch that he might die in the hospital if not release.

He added that his lawyers later challenged his continued detention without trial at the Lagos High Court and he was quickly arraigned on trump up charges of criminal conspiracy and acts capable of causing breach of peace.

He said it was the court that granted him bail, adding that the matter was still in court.

He added that that the Lagos monarch was angry that he also accused him of forcefully and illegally appointing one Alhaji Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon as the Oba-Elect of Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom contrary to the family’s choice of Pastor Emmanuel Olusegun Olumegbon.

He stressed that while being detained at the police custody, the dark glasses wearing monarch sent some disgruntled member of his family to him with a document to sign in support of Alhaji Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon as the Oba-elect, adding that he declined the move.

Alhaji Adedina added that upon gaining his freedom, he discovered that a meeting of the family was held which he ‘attended and signed’ in support of the choice of Alhaji Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon as the Oba-elect of Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom.

He said he petitioned the forensic unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID to very if the signature was actually his.

He stated further that said the result of the forensic was that his signature was forged, saying he would contest the forgery which brought about the installation of Alhaji Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon as the Oba of Olumegbon.

According to him, he had already petitioned the Lagos State Government, the police and the Eti-Osa Local Government Area over the forgery, adding that the move caused discontentment between the state government which gave its nod in the installation and the police which failed to investigate the forgery until a petition was sent to the forensic unit.

He added, “Oba Riliwanu Aremu Akiolu is not and will never be a member of the Olumegbon royal family, never.

“It happened that chief Lamifi Kalefo, the predecessor of chief Fatai Lawal Olumegbon, the late Olumegbon of Lagos, Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom, happened be a member Onisiwo chieftaincy family, it was in the year 1954 or so that he was installed as Olumegbon of Lagos and being of Onisiwo chieftaincy family which at the time Oba Riliwanu Akiolu was just a young boy.

“Chief Kalefo became the Olumegbon of Lagos he then took young Riliwanu Akiolu to his Palace for adoption. Now the eldest son of Chief Lamidi Kalefo Olumegbon was a tailor who sew for the Nigerian Army. Then, it was at the Olumegbon family house that the now Oba Riliwanu Akiolu started primary school up to secondary school level. Thereafter, he got employed with the Nigerian Railway Corporation at the completion of his secondary school. He worked there for few years, resigned and joined the Lagos State internal revenue service when the state was created in 1966 alongside other states in Nigeria by the administration of General Yakubu Gowon.

“He later enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force. It happened that Oba Adeyinka Oyekan of Lagos was given a slot of a Commissioner of Lagos State by the Head of State then and he chose Alhaji Femi Okunu and so he was made the Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing. It was Lamidi Kalefo who handed over the now Oba Riliwanu Akiolu to Oba Oyekan as a young police office. The IGP then was Louis Edet from the present day Cross River State. It was Theophilus Fagbola, the DIG, that Mr. Femi Okunu handed young Riliwanu Aremu Akiolu to. This was around 1960 as a young police officer.

Machado added, “Young Akiolu was very nice to whoever came his way, including Alhaji Lateef Jakande and in a show of gratitude, Riliwanu Akiolu was given a plot of land at Becklin Street, Obalende Lagos. He didn’t sell the plot of land, instead there was a Lebanese who he assisted in the course of being a policeman and it was this Lebanese that took him to the now defunct International bank for credit and commerce to raise fund with he built a gigantic structure on the land and Alhaji Lateef Jakande, the then governor of Lagos State gave him the certificate of occupancy.”

He maintained that “the Olumegbon Royal family owned the vast land in Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom from time immemorial. It was Governor lateef Jakande who constructed a road from Maroko to Epe; the Olumegbon family had a judgement on the land as far back as 1896 up to the Supreme Court level. Reason being that with road construction, Ajah became opened up and the customary tenants became wealthy because they were selling our land and denied us access to what is rightfully us. Then, we took them to court. Don’t forget that by this time, we the members of Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom were confined to Lagos metropolis and that gave our tenants the leverage to start selling our lands and use the proceeds to fight us. And remember again, from the gigantic structure which Riliwanu Akiolu built on the given plot of land, he became very rich and by time Olumegbon were in court with their customary tenants, they had no money and it was Oba Riliwanu Akiolu who financed the whole court process. In year 2002, the Supreme Court finally rule that the entire land of Ajah and Okun-Ajah belong to Olumegbon chieftancy family.

“Our fathers then started holding meetings with Riliwanu Akiolu as though he was a member of the family but unfortunately, these elders died one after another. Riliwanu Akiolu then saw it as an opportunity to usurp what originally belong to us, using his police clout and started selling our land at Oloko-nla, Ajiweh and Alasia and Monastery and detailed Mobile policemen to constantly remain on our land.”

Speaking further, the elder statesman added that while he was in police custody, they brought a document for him to sign as condition for his freedom to support the choice of Alhaji Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon as the Oba-elect of Ajah and Okun-Ajah kingdom, but he declined.

He said after he was later released from custody, he discovered that a meeting of the four branches of the family was held with him in “attendance” with his signature forged.

He added, “I petitioned the forensic unit of the FCID Annex Alagbon Ikoyi Lagos and the result was that my signature was forged. We are therefore, seeking justice from relevant and concerned authorities and we are prepared to challenge the illegal installation of Abdulateef Kolawole Lawal Olumegbon in court.”