Pandemonium recently broke out in Idi-Oyin Imoke in Ibeju Lekki local government area of Lagos state following the installation of a new traditional ruler, on November 4th, 2022 by the Lagos State Government while the incumbent, Chief Saheed Omotayo Adeboye still holds sway on the throne.

It was leant that Chief Adeboye was appointed as the Baale for the community in 2015 by the immediate past paramount ruler and Onibeju of Ibejuland, the late Oba Olusegun Rafiu Salami, while Moruf Apena was appointed Baale about one month ago by the Oba of Araromi, Olayemi Lukman Adebambo

The controversy has led to a seemingly disquiet in the community following a failed attempt to arrest Chief Adeboye the authentic baale of imoke land.

According to the aggrieved residents, Chief Adeboye’s appointment was approved and officially recognized by the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government.

Adeboye is said be a member of the Baale-In-Council and has been on the throne for years before a parallel Baale was recently installed in the same community, setting off disturbances in the seedy community.

The trouble peaked on March 27, 2023 when some suspected thugs, believed to have been aided by policemen from the Elemoro Area Command allegedly stormed Adeboye’s palace and attempted to arrest him, but were resisted by residents.

The incident resulted in a free for all fight as the aggrieved residents engaged with the suspected thugs while the policemen watched helplessly.

The residents told our correspondent that the botched arrest of their traditional ruler was an attempt by the parallel Baale to intimidate him to submission.

They wondered why the policemen did not invite Adeboye to their station or show a warrant of arrest to justify their mission.

One of the residents, Mutiu Adekoya, said: “I am an indigene of this community; born and raised here. We didn’t have any problem in this community until the strange appointment of a parallel traditional ruler by a neighbouring monarch in the person of Oba Olayemi luqmon Arowolo Adebambo the Gbadewolu of Araromi who has vow not to respect or give honor to the paramount ruler of ibeju lekki Oba Waliu Rasaq Olasunkanmi.

“The only recognised Baale of our community is Chief Saheed Omotayo Adeboye, and it is sad that they have been trying to silence him.

“These thugs who are being aided by some policemen from the Elemoro Area Command are on an illegal mission to arrest our traditional ruler, otherwise, why was he not invited for an explanation if there was any petition against him, and why did the policemen refuse to present any warrant of arrest when we demanded such?

“Yet, they attempted to force their way into the palace in order to arrest our traditional ruler.”

Another resident, Abeni Waliu, told our correspondent that the attempted arrest of Adeboye was needless and disturbing.

She said: “Idioyin-Imoke community is a peaceful town that has witnessed unprecedented development since Chief Adeboye was installed as Baale, a few years ago. “Unfortunately, the appointment of a factional Baale in the person of Moruf Apena was needless and disturbing and the fallout is generating ripples at the moment.

The coronet king, Oba Olayemi Luqmon Arowolo Adebambo the Gbadewolu of Araromi in ibeju lekki was recently seen in a viral video where he lambasted the elderly in his family, the oba needs to be called to order.

“This exercise (sic) has really brought fear into the community and it has made residents not to be able to go about their daily activities.

“Truly, Oba of Araromi and Adeboye were installed by the same Onibeju of Ibejuland, who is the paramount ruler of Ibeju-Lekki, as Baale of Idioyin-Imoke and Araromi.

“However, since Araromi’s stool was upgraded from Baale to Oba, the king of Araromi has become a thorn in the flesh towards any opposition he believes he’s a paramount ruler as well as the Onibeju of ibeju lekki kingdom Oba Waliu Rasaq Olasunkanmi.

This is where the Lagos state government should wade in to avert two kings from embarking on to war, a paramount ruler & coronet king.

In his remark, Oba Adebambo said he installed Apena as a replacement for Adeboye who has refused to recognise him as monarch and legal traditional authority.

Speaking with our correspondent, Chief Adeboye said he was properly selected and installed as the Baale of the community by the late Onibeju of Ibejuland, Oba Olusegun Rafiu Salami, and had not been removed by Salami’s successor, Oba Waliu Olasunkanmi.

He said that Oba Adebambo installed Apena as a parallel Baale to cause unnecessary disturbance in his domain.

“I was installed as Baale of Idioyin-Imoke about eight years ago, precisely in 2015. The late Onibeju of Ibeju, Oba Salami was the one that installed me and Adebambo as Baale before Adebambo’s elevation to an oba by the new Onibeju of Ibejuland.

“However, since my emergence as Baale, Oba Adebambo has never liked me.

“My father was the head of our family at the time of my installation and he was the one that even nominated him (Adebambo) for the post of Baale before he became an Oba recently.

“Since I became the Baale, God has been using me to develop my ancestral domain, the Idioyin-Imoke community.

“I have never sold any landed property without accounting for the sale.

“In fact, I bought the property which serves as my palace now from the previous owner. So I don’t use my position to covet other people’s properties.

“Apena and Adebambo have written petitions against me asking the state government not to gazette my stool.

“He claimed that I had not paid him homage in his palace. But if I had visited him in his palace and there was an exchange between us during the visit, he would have used it again that I humiliated him in his palace.

“However, I congratulated him on the phone after his installation and even prostrated to him after.

We the people of idi-oyin/imoke land are using this opportunity to call on the Lagos state governor Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-olu to please come to our aide & save our souls from the overzealous & temperamental king, Oba luqmon of Araromi in ibeju lekki Lagos state in order to avoid a total breakdown of law & order in the area.