Five of the six Ruling Houses in Iree have described as barbaric, archaic and criminal, the attack on the palace of Aree of Iree, Oba Ademola Oluponnle Rapheal by sponsored hoodlums on Thursday.
In a joint press conference adressed in Iree on Friday, the representatives of theRoyal families said they all support the appointment of the new monarch, but the sponsors of the attack were only trying to create the impression of crisis and portray the town in a bad light before the whole world.
The representatives of the Ruling Houses were, Prince Gbenga Olatunji (Oyekun ruling house), Wasiu Adeleke (Larooye), Alhaji Jimoh Lawal (Iyoonla), Prince Oyerinde Fatai (Ojo Ayagaga) and Prince Suleiman Olaniyan (Olubonku).
The Royal families mentioned one Gbadamosi Ibrahim popularly called Gbedu, Ajayi Abiodun (Oluomo), Adebayo Taye (Taye Kerosene), Waidi Agunbiade and Jimoh Saje among those that led the attack.
“On the 7th of November, 2022, a new King, Oba Ademola Raphel Oluponle was installed in Iree as the new Aree of Iree, after following all necessary procedures and traditional rites as laid down by the Chieftaincy Law of Osun State. For close to a month now, Iree has been so peaceful and orderly since Oba Ademola resumed to the palace hosting dignitaries from within and outside the town.
“Sadly, yesterday December 1, 2022, some suspected hoodlums stormed the road leading to the palace and also attacked the palace, burning belongings in the palace, under the disguise that the Aogun of Iree, Chief Saliu Atoyebi was arrested for what up till this morning remain unknown to us and we strongly believe it has nothing to do with Aree throne.
“As if that was not enough, the hoodlums entered houses of individuals in Iree, attacking them, destroying their properties all in their effort to create an impression that there is crisis in the town over Obaship.
“We condemned this act in strong terms; it is babaric, satanic and criminal. The attack to the best of our knowledge is to create impression that there is crisis in Iree and portray Iree in bad light in the face of the new government in the state. We state categorically that all the ruling houses are strongly behind the King, Oba Ademola Oluponle.
“We called on the Security Agencies, particularly the State Commissioner of Police (CP) and Director of Department of Security Service (DSS) to investigate the dastardly act and bring the perpetrators to book with a view to forestalling similar occurrence”, the family houses reiterated.
Meanwhile, the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke who is a Prince of Larooye royal family has cautioned any aggrieved party to go civil way by allowing the court to take position on the Aree Obaship.
Adeleke said, it was unfortunate that the palace, which is the collective property of the town was being attack just for selfish reason, saying the history of Iree will not forget the perpetrators and their sponsors.
According to him, the processes on the appointment of Aree has been concluded since November 7th and the case on the Obaship was already in court, wondering why those who have approached the court of law supervised the attack on the same palace, rather than waiting for the outcome of the case.
Adeleke then charged the security agencies to wade in, investigate and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book.
