The people of Gbalefa
Peninsula in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State has called on the State Government to call Olota of Ota, Oba (Prof) Adeyemi Obalanlege to order for allegedly sponsoring the forceful takeover of their lands alongside other nefarious activities capable of disrupting public peace in the area.
At a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Iwe Irohin, Abeokuta yesterday by the Gbalefa Council of Baales In Ado-odo/Ota Local Government, the Olota of Ota was said to have on a number of occasions personally led his henchmen and land grabbers to different towns and villages to forcefully take over the lands of the Yewa and Egba indigenes and farmers.
At the briefing, the Baales who claimed they represented the sixty-two (62) towns and villages of which made up Gbalefa Peninsula alleged that by the activities of the Olota, farmers were being forced to flee for their safety while villages were looted by his cronies.
They also alleged that in the last couple of weeks, the Olota Prof Adeyemi Obalanlege, has been conferring chieftaincy titles presented as covering the entire Ado-Odo/Ota Local
Government.
"We assert that the Olota has exceeded its boundary again as his jurisdiction and right to award Chieftaincy titles lies in Ota town only", the Baale said.
They noted that in some cases, the Olota of Ota and his land grabbers were resisted in places like Itori, Ketu/Onignongbo, Kajola Iboro, and Adekoyeni.
They revealed that at Adekoyeni in particular, Olota was confronted by naked women which forced him to flee and abandon his quest to take over their land.
"The recent invasion of Yewa village of Kajola Iboro took place just about three
weeks ago. The Olota and his henchmen were publicly humiliated and was
compelled to abandon their mission in Kajoka Iboro by the whole villagers who
forced him to walk over a kilometer out of their village shouting "Kajola is not
Awori's land," the baales said.
"Some others fought through the Courts and many more are still fighting in courts
to stave off his land grabbers succesfully.
Notwithstanding various court
judgments, his land grabbers continue to forcefully occupy farms and sells them
off in plots and acres. A recent case in point is the Agana Oyero where the Ogun
State High Court sitting in Ota affirmed that the Egba people owned the village.
Regrettably, the Awori land grabbers simply ignored the court judgment and
continue to occupy the village land".
The Gbaleefa chieftains posited that if Olota is not checked and his land grabbers stopped by the Ogun State Government, there is the likelihood of breakdown in law and order which would lead to
severe losses to the unsuspecting buyers of the lands.
However, the Olota, Oba Obalanlege said the claimants are all farmers squatting on the land of the Aworis.
He insisted to THE STATEPOST that there is nowhere known as Gbaleefa Peninsula in the entire Ado Odo/Ota LG Area.
He described the agitators as "Onibiko" which he said in the parlance of the Aworis means farmer squatters who had begged to farm on Awori land.
Here below is the full text (Unabridged) of the speech delivered by the Gbalefa people at yesterday's press conference:
BEING TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ON OLOTA OF OTA
FORCEFUL INCURSION INTO GBALEFA LAND BY GBALEFA
COUNCIL OF BAALES IN ADO-ODO/OTA LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON
WEDNESDAY, 20" NOVEMBER, 2024 AT THE IWE IROHIN
CONFERENCE R0OM, ABEOKUTA.
OLOTA OF OTA QUTRAGIOUS BEHAVIOUR- ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media,
We the representatives of the sixty-two (62) towns and villages of Gbalefa
Peninsula in Ado-Odo / Ota Local Government, Ogun State are compelled to call
the attention of the Ogun State Government and all peace loving indigenes and
residents of our Gateway State to the disturbing activities of the Olota of Ota,
Professor Adeyemi Obalanlege, that are capable of disrupting public peace.
GBALEFA PENINSULA- BRIEF BACKGROUND
Gbaalefa peninsula is a huge vast forest land captured by the Egba forces, led by
Akindele Gbaalefa from the Ilobis and Ado Odos. The peninsula was named after
the war leader, AKINDELE GBAALEFA who conquered the territory.
The peninsula was never and is still not part of Ota or any Aworiland.
According to historical records, including books and scripts written by Rev Henry
Townsend and virtually all great Yoruba historians, the Egbas, which conmprises
of Egba AKE, Egba OKE-ONA, Egba GBAGURA and Egba OWU conquered
the land known as Gbalefa during the Ilobi, Ado-Odo and Dahomey wars of
1836 to 1853. The Southern and Northern Parts of Gbalefa Forest was
uninhabited at the time of conquest. Ota was habited and was conquered by
the Egba Forces known as Egba AKE, Egba OKE-ONA, Egba GBAGURA
and Egba OWU in 1842.
The Alake of Egbaland allowed the Egbado people of llobi, who were the
original owner of the conquered land before the war to maintain their villages
under the Egba traditional council after the war.
The Egbas were ruling Ota from the time of conquest until 1899 when the Aworis
appealed to the then Alake to allow their self-rule in Ota. Consequently, the Alake
granted their request with Aina Ako becoming the Olota in 1900/ 1901.
Undisputed records reveal that the Aworis were allocated farm lands on request by
the Egba communities and were not challenge the over lordships of the Egba
Communities.
Failed Attempt to Subsume Gbalefa
In 1913, for administrative convenience, Gbalefa land was merged with Egbado
division. The Egba people, who were off springs of the Egba warriors living in lju
that conquered the area, in the Peninsula were enraged and protested vehemently.
The protests led to the re- emergence of Gbalefa Peninsula with Egba division,
(Gazette no 34 of 12th June 1919).
The False Ownership Claim Repudiated
In 1935, a publication in the Akede Eko March 30, 1935, on page 7 Col.2,
attributed the ownership of Gbelefa Peninsula to the Aworis. This false claim led
to the convening of a meeting by the Resident of Abeokuta Province to determine
the veracity of the claim from all the Aworis Chiefs and Baales living in Otta at the
time.
The meeting was held on Wednesday, 10 April 1935 at the Olota's Palace between
the District Officer from Abeokuta (Representing the resident of Abeokuta
Province) and the Olota and his Chiefs (representing the indigenes of Otta) and the
Baales from Ota.
The meeting established through the testimony of the Awori representatives that,
Ota was annexed to Egba division with the Bgba flag housted in 1842, and it was
not until 1853 that Gbaalefa peninsula was nmerged with Egba division and the
Egba Flag hoisted. The colonial authorities initially placed Gbalefa in Ota district
because of its proximity to Ota and moreso both were within Egba Authority. The
Egbas were responsible for allocating lands. But It was the Qlotà Isiyemi that made
a passionate plea to the Egba authority to consider Aworis in Ota as Egbas to allow
them to benefit from the allocation of forest lands in the Gbalefa peninsula.
Subsisting Merger
In 1937, for ease of administration, the colonial administration merged Gbalefa
Peninsula and Ota under the Egba Native Administration in Nigeria.
The 1986 Chieftaincy Crisis
In March 2006, The late Olowu of Owu, Oba Dr. Olusanya Adegboyoga Dosunmu
II appointed and installed 16 coronets Obas within Gbalefa Peninsula, Sango, and
ljoko. The installation of the 16 coronets was opposed by the then Olota of Ota,
Oba Alani Osanyintola Oycde who falsely claimed that the late Olowu of Owu
encroached on his domain through some of the coribets appointed. This led to the
ikillings of4 Egba indigenes at Atan by some Awori hoodluns who invaded from
Ota. They were eventually expelled by the Nigeria Police oflicers and normalcy
was restored. The Egba, Yewa indigenes and the Awori residents from Ota have
since been living peacefully.
Current Challenges
The installation of Prof Kabir Adeyemi Obalanlege renewed his interest in the
Gbalefa towns and villages. Awori land grabbers resurfaced and were openly
supported by Olota of Ota.
He embarked on a campaign to create Awori Traditional Council with himself as
the Paramount Ruler. The Yewa and Egba oeople resisted and protested that the
Olota of Ota cannot coerce them into his dreamed Traditional Council.
In other to push his agenda, Olota started installing Baales in areas where there are
existing Baales of Yewa and Egba extractions. Thugs and land grabbers were and
are being used to drive away the indigenous people who are largely farm owners
and their lands forcefully taken from them.
We are not unmindful that Olota Prof Kabir Adeyemi Obalanlege's goal, through
the imposition and installations of Baales outside his domain in our territories, is
simply driven by his lust for land for personal benefits.
Please permit us to briefly address the atrocities being committed by the Olota of
Ota.
1. Installation of Baales outside his Domain
The Olota of Ota has been installing Baales where there are existing Baales and
outside his jurisdiction of Ota. Examples abound in ju, Mesan, Atan, Oke-Ore,
Adekoyeni, Kajola Ibooro, Ajibawo, Ayidigun, Akinde, Orita, Ajambata, Ilewo-
Alaga etc.
If unchecked, these actions are capable of disrupting the peace in all these towns.
Installation of Chiefs for Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government
In the last couple of weeks, the Olota Prof Adeyemi Obalanlege, has been
conferring chicftaincy titles presented as covering the entire Ado-Odo / Ota Local
Government. We assert that the Olota has exceeded its boundary again as his
jurisdiction and right to award Chieftaincy titles lies in Ota town only.
Instigation of Land Grabbing
We know that many of the various tussles over land ownership and land grabbing
are sponsored or supported by the Olota of Ota. On a number of occasions, he
personally led his henchmen and land grabbers to different towns and villages to
forcefully take over the lands of the Yewa and Egba indigenes / farmers. In a few
cases, farmers were forced to flee for their safety while villages were looted by his
cronies. Examples abound which includes but not limited to lju, Mesan,
Onigbongbo, Oniyanmo, Agana Leshi, Showole, Agana Oyero,Ishaga e.t.c.
In some cases, the Olota of Ota and his land grabbers were resisted in Itori,
Ketu/Onignongbo, Kajola Iboro, and Adekoyeni. In Adekoyeni, Olota was
confronted by naked women who forced him to flee and abandon his quest to take
over their land.
The recent invasion of Yewa village of Kajola Iboro took place just about three
weeks ago. The Olota and his henchmen were publicly humiliated and was
compelled to abandon their mission in Kajoka Iboro by the whole villagers who
forced him to walk over a kilometer out of their village shouting "Kajola is not
Awori's land".
Some others fought through the Courts and many more are still fighting in courts
to stave off his land grabbers succesfully. Notwithstanding various court
judgments, his land grabbers continue to forcefully occupy farms and sells them
off in plots and acres. A recent case in point is the Agana Oyero where the Ogun
State High Court sitting in Ota affirmed that the Egba people owned the village.
Regrettably, the Awori land grabbers simply ignored the court judgment and
continue to occupy the village land.
If Olota is not checked and his land grabbers stopped by the Ogun State
Government, there is the likelihood of breakdown in law and order and also lead to
severe losses to the unsuspecting buyers of the lands.
Threatening Behaviour
Prof Obalanlege is renowned for threatening the indigencs of Yewa and Egba
extractions to back his ambition to create Awori Traditional Council in his
inordinate ambition to be a Paramount Ruler.
While we are not opposed to his dreams, we wish to state clearly that he should
exclude the Yewa and Egba towns and villages from his calculations. We affirm,
on behalf of our people, that we are not Awori and therefore should not be annexed
by the Olota. Our forebears resisted our inclusion in Ota district and we will not
allow any Olota of Ota to rewrite history.
OUR APPEALS
1. We commend the maturity of the Alake of Egbaland and Paramount Ruler of
Egba Traditional Council for his numerous efforts to ensure peace in Gbalefa
Land. But we appeal to the Egba Traditional Council to prevail on Olota of Ota to
exercise his jurisdiction within his Ota town. We request that the Egba Traditional
Council should investigate all the illegal installations of Baales in Gbalefa land and
not confer any recognition on any Baale installed outside OʻTA by the Olota.
2. We call on our peace loving Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun CFR, to cause an
investigation into the Olota of Ota's invasion of Kajola lboro, occupation of Agana
Oyero despite the judgment of Ogun State High Court, and the invasion of several
communities by the Olota and his land grabbers.
Gentlemen of the Media, except the Egba Traditional Council and more
importantly the Ogun State Government wade into our complaints since the Olota
of Ota, Prof Kabiru Adeyemi Obalanlege, will not stop his land grabbing activities.
It is imperative for our amiable, peace loving Governor to stop Olota from
disturbing the peace of the State.
Thank you.
E-Signed
Chief Oyero Wale Shokunbi (Chairman) Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Olaniyan Mosaku ( Secretary-General) Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Afolayan Edun Samson (Asst. Secretary) Gbalefa Council of Baales
Chief Lateef Abolade Adisa (PRO) Gbalefa Councl of Baales
Chief Jimoh Ajasa Shorunke (Treasurer) Gbalefu Council of Baales
> Chief Babatunde Tajudeen (OLA-KAABA), Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Tiwalade Salako Fatai, Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Fadilulai Abidemi Sodehinde, Gbalefa Council of Baales
Chief Mutiu Oyetayo, Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Shodiya Tajudeeen, Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Yisa Olokun, Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Elijah Babalola, Gbalefa Council of Baales
Chief Rasaq Salami Okukenu, Gbalefa Council of Baales
> Chief Odetogun Adewale Moruf, Gbalefa Council of Baales
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