NANS asks Ogun govt to sack monarch accused of assault

The Ogun State wing of the National Association of Nigeria Students has urged the state government to sack the Oloorile of Orile Ifo, Oba Olawale Ogunjobi, who has been under fire for the alleged assault of a 73-year-old chief, Arinola Abraham.
NANS in a statement by the Ogun JCC Chairman, Abiola Francis, on Monday, described the assault as disgraceful to the dignity of the victim.
Francis also described the actions depicted in the video as abhorrent to the values and cultures of the Yoruba people.
He noted that such action demonstrated the attributes of tyranny from someone who was expected to be a custodian of peace, justice and refuge for his subjects.
Francis said in part, “In the video, the over 70-year-old Arinola was forced to kneel on the road, verbally assaulted, physically attacked and rained curses on him.
“This disgraceful and distasteful act carried out under the supervision of a traditional ruler is not only unlawful but also a shameful betrayal of the human dignity and values that Yoruba traditional leadership should represent.
“Traditional rulers are meant to be custodians of peace, justice, and moral uprightness, not instruments of oppression and hooliganism. The monarchy should be a refuge for the people, not a force of intimidation and cruelty.”
He continued by urging the police to probe the alleged claim by the monarch of having undue influence on the police stressing that such a claim should not go uninvestigated.
The Ogun NANS Chairman also urged the Egba Traditional Council to be decisive in addressing the matter while calling on the state government to sack the monarch as a deterrent to others.
“We call on the Nigeria Police Force to immediately arrest and prosecute Oba Semiu Olawale Ogunjobi and all those involved in this dehumanizing act.
No one, regardless of status, should be above the law.
“We also implore the Ẹ̀gbá Traditional Council to take decisive action by stripping Oba Ogunjobi of his position/membership in the revered Egba Traditional Council.
“A traditional ruler who openly disgraces the stool he occupies has no moral justification to continue as a leader of the people. To this end, we request his sack by the Ogun state government to nip tyranny in the bud in our state.”
The Ogun State Government has vowed to investigate the circumstances behind the incident.

The Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to Governor Abiodun, Kayode Akinmade, who described the act as inappropriate and inhumane, stressed that necessary action would be taken if the incident proved to be true.