Awo Chieftaincy Matter: Reflection on how Oba Olatunbosun contradicts Himself before Osun Commission of Inquiry

…As Jogunade family rejects its own evidence in chief

The Alawo of Awo, Oba Musa Olatubosun Adebayo, Akinsilo II, on Wednesday 31st May, 2017,contradicted himself before Justice AbdulRasaq B. AbdulKareem led Commission of Inquiry into the Disputed Awo Chieftaincy matter by not being able to list the ruling houses of the ancient town in accordance with the Awo Chieftaincy Declaration that brought him to the throne.

Oba Adebayo who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry as PW1 along side his Legal Counsel,Mr. M.M. Nworie,contradicted himself during the oral cross-examination on his rejoinder by the Counsel to the one of the parties in the matter, the Abioye ruling House, Barrister Tawfeeq Ibikunle of Adewale Afolabi & Co.

Barrister Ibikunle requested from Oba Adebayo to list the ruling houses of the ancient town as contained in his Letter dated 24th July,1992 and forwarded the same to Justice Bola Babalakin led Commission of Inquiry in 1992,where he listed the ruling houses according to the Awo Chieftaincy Declaration in order of rotation as follows;Awojobi ruling house,Akinsilo ruling house(my ruling house) ,Abioye ruling house, and Okunji ruling house.

The monarch in the Letter dissociated himself with the purported memorandum of Jogunade Family before Justice Babalakin’s Commission in 1992 but now before Justice Abdulkareem’s Commission where Oba Musa declared that Awojobi, Abioye, Jogunade, should be recognized in the recommendation of the commission.

Meanwhile,Mr. Saliu Olanipekun Jogunade, representing Jogunade Family before the Commission, rejected his purported evidence of information contained in the booklet of 30th Coronation anniversary of Oba Musa Olatubosun, Akinsilo II, the Alawo of Awo, attached to the Jogunade family Memorandum, during the cross-examination of the hearing of their case by declaring that the information contained therein was no more good evidence to prove their family case beyond reasonable doubt and this singular statement made their memorandum to be stood without parents before the Commission.

Ibikunle further stated that the cross examination of the Jogunade was very imperative as a way to test the veracity of their claims and purported evidence before the Commission,all these were dismissed by Justice Akin Apara Panel of Inquiry on the Awo Disputed Cheiftaincy matter in 1978 and Justice Bola Babalakin in 1992 and as well as the State High Court,Ejigbo Presiding over by Honourable Justice A.O. Ogunlade in a suit No: HEJ/14/2004 struck out their case for wanton of prosecution.

Speaking after the adjournment of the hearing of the matter by the Panel, a Prince from Abioye Ruling House, Prince (Comrade) Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman urged the Commission of Inquiry to dismiss the memorandum of Jogunade family for wanton of evidence, commending the Commission for thorough job,adding that Oba Jogunade was banished and deposed on the throne and as well imprisoned at Ibadan, for using his position to kill fellow human being unjustly which was against the tradition of the ancient town.

Prince Sulaiman added that the investigators of the heinous crime, later discovered that deposed Oba Jogunade employing the service of Omoko who later died in Prison and Oyemola to carry out dastard act, thinking that Oba Ola Sijuwade who took over after him,might have died as a result of injuries sustained during the attack,disclosing that Jogunade family have bad antecedents in the town,even, up till the present moment.

Comrade Sualiman therefore opined that Oba Olatubosun deserved to be arrested and subsequently prosecuted for making false evidence which was tantamount to misleading of the Commission of Inquiry if it was in conventional court.

The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday 14th June, 2017 for continuation of hearing.

Prince (Comrade) Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman,
Abioye Rulling House, Awo, Osun State