Lagos Monarch Nabbed For Murder
- By Jire Adio


The Alayobo of Ayobo, Oba Idowu Ojoijo, was, yesterday, arrested along with 17 others, by policemen afrom the State CID, Panti, Yaba, over an alleged murder. The policemen were led by Inspector Sanni Nasir.

P.M.NEWS gathered that the monarch was whisked away from his Ayobo palace, around 11 a.m., along with some of his chiefs and others believed to be Odua People’s Congress (OPC) members. The oba was seen at the State CID, Panti, yesterday afternoon, being interrogated by policemen in the D4 homicide department, after writing his statement.

As at the time of filing this report, Oba Ojoijo was still being detained in one of the offices in Panti. He confirmed his ordeal to P.M.NEWS when he was called on phone. Said the monarch: “It is true I was arrested by policemen from Panti. As a matter of fact, I am still there now because they refused to release me after I had written my statement.”

The oba said he was arrested along with two of his chiefs, Tajudeen Balogun (Asipa) and Chief Mojeed, a.k.a. Baba Ijon, the Seriki, his surveyor, a man simply called ‘Pure Water’ and 13 others who were met in his palace.

Police sources at Panti, however, revealed to P.M.NEWS that some of the suspects, including the Baale of Bada and some landlords in the area, are on the run, adding that the chairman of the Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Prince Bisi Yusuf, has also been invited by the police over same allegation.

The source revealed that the arrest of the monarch and others is in connection with the 10 July, 2008, mayhem in Ayobo, where two men were reportedly killed. They are Abiodun Mustapha (Ololo), 18, and Muritala, 28. An impeccable police source further told P.M.NEWS that the oba and other suspects will be charged to court for murder.

It was also gathered that the bodies of the deceased are still in the morgue. Mr. Ekundayo Arimiyu Bello won a land dispute suit last year and made moves to take possession of the disputed massive land in Ayobo, Megida, Bada and their environs, but was allegedly restrained by those arrested, thus leading to mayhem. The PPRO of the Lagos Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the oba’s arrest, saying “we are aware he was arrested and being interrogated at the State CID, Panti.”
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