Community leaders in Owo, Yewa South Local Government of Ogun State, have demanded justice over the alleged murder of their traditional ruler, Oba Patrick Fasinu, who was burnt to death about two years ago. The slain monarch was waylaid, hacked and burnt to death by suspected assassins while he was returning from a meeting of traditional rulers in the Ilaro area of the state in July 2017.
The late monarch was said to have dropped off his driver along the way and was heading home when he was killed. Leaders and members of the community led by the Vice-Chairman of Owo Forum, Mrs Aghelegin Olayinka, in a protest on Thursday in Abeokuta, the state capital, said that nothing had been done to ensure justice on the matter.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Olayinka expressed the community’s displeasure to an alleged plan by the state government to impose a new traditional ruler on the town when the case on Fasinu’s murder before the court had not been dispensed with. She called on the state government to wade into the matter to avoid violence in the area.
Olayinka said, “Since the killing of the Olowo of Owoland in 2017, nothing has been done. Those in detention over the killing, including the prime suspect, had been released on bail. We want the government to wade into the matter and ensure justice is done.” Also, a younger brother of the slain monarch, Mr Fasinu Olaonipekun, said the community demanded that the installation of a new monarch be put on hold.
According to him, due process was not followed in the selection of the next Olowo of Owo Kingdom. He said, “It is a great insult to the good people of Owo that a new king is about to be installed when suspected killers of my brother are standing trial and the court has not resolved it.” He, however, lamented that Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led government has not done anything about the killing of Oba Fasinu, adding that it would amount to injustice if the proper the thing was not done before installing a successor.
Meanwhile, the indigenes have petitioned the State Directorate of State Services and the police over the alleged plan to impose a new oba on the community. The indigenes in the petition, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent, said they were shocked by the alleged action to install a new monarch on them.
The petition read, “We, the Council of Chiefs in Owo, have the undivided consensus that the intended coronation, installation process should be discontinued and nullified as void with immediate effect. We are of the premonition that any move by the government on any installation right now may result in communal clashes; bloodshed and serious chaos in the entire Owo Kingdom.”
The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jide Ojuko, did not answer calls made to his mobile line and had yet to reply to the text message sent to him on the allegations as of press time.
Punch
