Mornachs at war as Baale was beaten to a pulp over a parcel of land

In practically all cultures, traditional rulers are reverred. This was not so for this Osun State monarch who was beaten to a pulp and left for dead by the subjects of a fellow traditional ruler - all over a piece of land!

Bakare Adeyemo is not just an alhaji, he is also the traditional ruler (Baale) of Temidire community in the Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State. But today, he is thanking God not only because of the exalted position he occupies but for being saved from an untimely death which could have come his way through the severe beatings he received from the hands of some hoodlums allegedly sponsored by a fellow traditional ruler over land. He is currently lying critically ill at the Intensive Care Unit of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital.

Adeyemo's attackers, reportedly numbering about 30, were said to have laid ambush for him on the way to his farm that fateful day. In a bid to show their seriousness to carry out their heinous crime, the assailants had reportedly first dealt with the Baale's surveyors, who had gone to the farm in advance. He had reportedly commissioned the two surveyors to work on the said land pending his arrival there. While the surveyors were working on the land, waiting for the arrival of their master, the hoodlums, suspected to have been hired for the deed, accosted the surveyors and demanded for the whereabouts of the Baale. Apparently not impressed by the surveyors' response, the hoodlum allegedly swooped on the surveyor and beat them blue black.

The two men reportedly managed to flee the scene. Once they reached where they could make a telephone call, the surveyors reportedly informed their master, the Baale, that a swarm of attackers lay in wait for him in the farm. They advised him not to show up. Probably believing that as the Baale, nobody would dare lay hands on him. How wrong he was? Adeyemo continued his journey to the farm, assuring the surveyors that no one would dare confront him on the land of his forebears. He proceeded to the farm, ignoring the advice of the surveyors.

That was the day he got the beating of his life as the said assailants threw tradition to the dogs, swooped in on him and gave the beating of his life. True to his words, Adeyemo arrived at the farm and parked his car close by, but could not see the surveyors in the site. While he waited for them to come, the assailants allegedly emerged from a nearby bush and pounced on him. "I told the surveyors not to panic but wait for me there. I then drove to the scene. I had not reached the surveyors when the gang trooped out of the bush where they were hiding and forced me to apply the brake and stop.

In fact, they did not allow me to open the door properly, they suddenly came over me. They attacked me with cutlasses, clubs and other weapons," Adeyemo recounted his ordeal in the hands of the assailant. He added that the attackers only left him when they believed that he was dead. After the attack, the hoodlums allegedly made away with his car's key, mobile phone and a cash of N1.5 million allegedly paid for the land, which he said he kept inside the boot of his car. The hoodlums later took to their heels. Moments after the attackers had gone, the two surveyors ran to Adeyemo's quarters to report the incident, and his family members first dashed to the farm to rescue their breadwinner, before they reported the incident at the Dada Estate Police Station. Adeyemo later told the police that he suspected another Baale of a neighbouring village, whose identity he gave as Olokinni.

Adeyemo alleged that the other Baale keeps a horde of thugs in his compound who he uses for such activities. He also claimed that he is in disagreement with the traditional over the said land. The law enforcement agents immediately swung into action, and, in no time, Okanola was apprehended after he allegedly hid himself from the police for a day. He was reportedly granted bail, while promising the police to produce the suspects. "That is what the police have told me so far about the matter. And I don't have any reason to doubt them because of the way they responded to the matter when we reported it," Adeyemo said. Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, Solomon Olusegun, could not confirm the matter but referred our correspondent to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dada Estate Division, Musa Okene.

The DPO eventually confirmed the story, but claimed that the said the Olokinni had written a petition against his division, resulting in the transfer of the matter to the Monitoring Unit at the Command Headquarters, Oke-Fia headquarters. "That is all I can tell you about the matter because I should not divulge our investigation to you. You can wait until the matter is taken to court," Okene said.      

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