Ifakorede Ajibade, a traditionalist leader, has reportedly lost vision in one eye after being attacked by thugs who allegedly work as security guards for Oba Babatunde Saliu, the monarch of Oworonshoki in Lagos State. Ajibade and five others, including a pregnant woman named Iya Osun, were severely beaten into a coma on Sunday, supposedly on the monarch’s orders.
Speaking to Thepaan News on Thursday, Ajibade described the aftermath of the attack. “I can’t see out of my left eye,” he said. “I’m in so much pain and can’t afford to go to the hospital. They took our phones, money, and belongings. Only a few items were left, which we used for our rituals.”
Ajibade claimed that King Saliu ordered his guards to assault them, search their pockets, and take their possessions. “I can’t sleep or go out. The injustice is overwhelming. The monarch threatened to kill us, saying nothing would happen if he did,” he added.
Ajibade called on Nigerians, the Inspector General of Police, and human rights activists to help them seek justice.
Thepaan News previously reported that thugs allegedly beat a pregnant woman, Iya Osun Agbebi Adekunle Salawe, and her fellow traditionalists into a coma on Sunday, purportedly under the monarch’s orders. Salawe, who was three months pregnant, said she lost her pregnancy due to the assault.
“I was planning an Isese festival, and my fellow traditionalists came to perform a ritual. After they left, I got a call that they were detained by the guards of Oba Oworonshoki’s palace,” Salawe recounted.
“The guards challenged them about holding a horsetail wand and detained them, asking where they were coming from. They explained they were coming from my place,” she added.
When contacted by Thepaan News, Oba Babatunde Saliu denied sending anyone to assault the traditionalists. However, he stated that they performed rituals in his town without informing him.
“It was around 8 p.m. on Sunday when I heard noise outside the palace. I saw some traditionalists with horsetails and asked about their mission. They claimed they were performing a ritual for a woman planning a festival,” the monarch explained.
“I asked one of the traditionalists to use his oracle to verify their mission. The oracle revealed they had a bad intent. I then called the police DPO to arrest them,” he said.
According to Oba Saliu, the traditionalists pleaded with him not to let the police arrest them. “A woman also came to appeal, explaining she had consulted them for the ritual. I questioned why she didn’t inform the palace and told her no festival could be held without informing the chiefs. She pleaded for leniency, and I told the DPO the matter was resolved.”
The monarch said that after the incident, he heard about the assault on the woman and ordered the arrest of the person responsible. “I do not tolerate such behavior; fighting a woman is unacceptable. I did not order anyone to beat the traditionalists,” he stated.
Victoria Ibiama
