Ibeju-Lekki Residents Protest To Lagos Assembly Over Imposition Of Baale

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By Dipo Awojobi – Scores of residents of Ibeju-Lekki Area of Lagos State on Friday staged a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly over alleged imposition of Baale (local chief) on the community by the Onibeju of Ibeju Lekki, Oba Olusegun Salami.
Protesters

Messages in the placards of the protesters include “Oba Salami, the Onibeju of Ibeju uses soldiers and Ajagungbale to illegally occupy our land, please, help'” “Baales installation at midnight by Onibeju, Oba Salami confirms the illegality of all his actions. Governor Ambode, please help,” and “Oba Salami has become the lion grabbing all our familyland. Government of Lagos State, please take note.”

Prince Alade Ogunlana, who led the protesters to the House,  alleged further in an interview with journalists that one Mufutau Olamiji, few years back and in Okegun Odofin, and Okegun School communities in the area went to proclaim and purport to announce himself as the Baale of an alleged Okegun-Ladeseso Community.

“We gathered that the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki, Oba Olusegun Salami had submitted his name before the Governor of Lagos State and other relevant Chieftaincy bodies in Lagos State for approval and absorption as the Baale of an alleged Okegun-Ladeseso Community,” he said.

Prince Ogunlana stated categorically that Aladeseso Descendant Families are one of the ruling houses in Ibeju-Lekki in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, and that they are the direct children of Aladeseso, the first settlers and founder of a place called Magbon Alade and that the said Mufutau Olamiji is never a descendant of their ancestors.

He then condemned the alleged purported and or appointment by the “Oba Olusegun Salami, the Onibeju of Ibeju-Lekki”‘

According to him, the actions have unnecessarily charged the entire Aladeseso Descendant Families of the
Aladeseso Ruling House of Ibeju-Lekki “and made us bitter and enraged about the affront impersonation of our Family herein, whilst the said Mufutau Olamiji has subjected us to threats and danger to our lives should we further oppose him.”

While disassociating the family from the action, Prince Ogunlana added that there is no place in the entire Ibeju-Lekki Kingdom called Okegun-Ladeseso, adding that it would be a direct affront on the family for someone to, according to him, impersonate and “use our family name to commit fraud, hence, we are saying that he is not qualified.”

He stated that the said area is an ordinary land with no buildings and that landgrabbers have since taken over the entire area as directed by the traditional ruler, while calling on the House of Assembly to come to their aid on the matter.

In his response, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa promised that the matter would be investigated and that the House Committee on Public Petitions would handle the matter.

He advised the protesters to continue to be peaceful, adding that the state Governor has just inaugurated a committee on land grabbing matters.

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