The prolonged cry for justice by the families of Titiola Lebi and Awolowo Faloroti, who lost their sons in 2013 and 2015 respectively, to unabated violence by Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, Olu of Igbokoda in Ilaje LGA of Ondo state has finally been heard. You may recall that news of the gruesome murder of one of the deceased whom Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, Olu of Igbokoda killed in cold blood has filled the news prints and social media since 2013. (https://www.nairaland.com/1230927/olu-igbokoda-murderer; https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/149640-ondo-monarch-nine-others-charged-murder.html; https://dailypost.ng/2014/11/10/police-re-arraign-ondo-monarch-others-alleged-murder/).
Mr Atima Koboju, the lawyer representing the families of the deceased, was full of praise for the administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for leading a Federal Government where justice cannot be denied. In his words, President Mohammadu Buhari, GCFR, has demystified Governance and Leadership in Nigeria and His Excellency has abolished sacred cows. The era where impunity reigned and people could kill and get away with it has gone forever. The President stands for Justice and Equity, he said.
In the same vein, the head of the Lebi/Temetan extended family, Oloja Charles Temetan of Temetan/Lerenren Community in Ilaje LGA of Ondo State, who has lost lives and property to the violence perpetrated by Olu of Igbokoda said, “we are happy that the Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation as well as the Inspector General of Police have looked into our plea to reopen the cases of murders against Oba Afolabi Odidiomo which were hitherto subdued in the past by the cronies of the Oba who has a knack for killings in cold blood”.
On the 13th of March, 2013, Prince Titiola Lebi a member of the Lebi/Temetan family which had an ongoing land matter with Olu of Igbokoda was gruesomely murdered at Igbokoda by Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and his aides who abducted Prince Titiola Lebi at Ilaje High School, Igbokoda. The investigation of the case was concluded by Police Force Criminal Investigation and Inteligence Department Headquarters (FCIID) in Abuja which sent the case file to the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation for Legal Advice. By a letter dated 25th April, 2014, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation returned the case file to the Police Force Headquarters with an advice to forward the case file to the Ondo State Ministry of Justice for further necessary action.
The letter from the Hon. Attorney General of the Federation dated 25th April 2014, stated clearly in paragraph 1 thus “from the facts of the case, there is overwhelming evidence and credible witnesses to sustain the charge and the suspects”. However, the CHARGE NO: MKD/70C/2013 was filed at the Chief Magistrates Court, Igbokoda in respect of the murder of Prince Titiola Lebi against Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and others, but Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and other accused persons were granted bail by the Chief Magistrate without regard to the provisions of section 118 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Law (CAP 38) Law of Ondo State, and the complaint died there.
Obviously emboldened by the fact that Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and his foot soldiers were not prosecuted for the abduction and murder of Prince Titiola Lebi, Oba Afolabi continued to unleash terror on his subjects at igbokoda and environs, and instead of the investigation and prosecution of several reports/cases against him, too numerous to recount, it was Oba Afolabi Odidiomo’s victims that were prosecuted on trumped up charges.
Perhaps, assured by some authorities somewhere that Oba Afolabi Odidiomo could never ever be prosecuted, on Friday, 2nd January, 2015, the entire Awolowo family and other tenants in the house at Okoga, Igbokoda, were in the mood of celebrating the New Year when Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, the Olu of Igbokoda led some people numbering about 20 with guns and cutlasses to besiege the compound. They held everybody hostage and unleashed terror on the men and the women. In the process, one Mr Awolowo Faloroti was shot. Oba Afolabi Odidiomo asked his men to take him away and Awolowo was carried away before the very eyes of his wife and neighbours.
Some of the eye witnesses and victims of the invasion, terror and abduction include the wife of Mr Awolowo, Mrs Ogunbeji Mary (a neighbour), Mr Iwajomo Ogooluwa (a neighbour with whom the murdered victim was eating with) and Mrs Esther Ileluwo who informed us and the Police as witnesses that the operation by Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and his killer gang lasted for over an hour of sporadic gunshots. Some of the people who came with Oba Afolabi Odidiomo and were identified by the eye witnesses are 1. Tayo Lebile 2. Alaba Mesaga 3. Iroayo Nana 4. Efe Isaiah 5. Tunji Akinlaja 6. Femi Lebile 7. Jose Lebile 8. Yomi Ojabogun 9. Taye Meduoye 10. Adeniyi Gorrot 11. Segun Olowofeyekun 12. Oko Orofin 13. Soji Lebile 14. Adeshina Akinlaja.
The Police Force Criminal Investigations Department Head Quarters in Abuja again investigated the case and filed an information – AK/50C/2017 in the Ondo State High Court, Akure and by a letter dated 13th July, 2017, the Police in Abuja forwarded the original case file to Ondo State Ministry of Justice, Akure but the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Ondo State did not seem to be interested in the prosecution of the matter, as no Government Counsel ever appeared in the matter thus making the High Court to have struck out the information on 23rd October, 2017. Subsequently, Olu of igbokoda boasted that he is THE LAW in Ondo State and nobody in Government or otherwise can prosecute him. The Court however appropriately made a further order to the effect that the Inspector General of Police may re-file the charge when the Police Force is ready to prosecute the case. Thanks to the effective administration of the present Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, who has ordered that the cases be re-opened and properly prosecuted to a logical conclusion in line with the Law and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Law is expected to be above all persons and should not respect any persons regardless of class, status, creed or race. Therefore, when persons expected to be the custodians of our customs, traditions and values, have treated/handed our Laws with impunity and disregard, the Law is expected to take its course.
Blessing MichealTrendyPeople Media Services
