Metro

Anxiety In Osun Community Over Monarch’s Disappearance

Published

6 months ago

February 15, 2025

Editor

There’s palpable fear and anxiety in Ipetumodu community, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, over the sudden disappearance of the town’s monarch, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede.

Oba Oloyede, a United States of America-based accountant and information system expert, was appointed Apetu in July 2019.

He succeeded Oba James Adegoke, who died on November 26, 2017.

According to The PUNCH, the royal father had been regularly shuttling between Nigeria and his base in the US since his installation.

However, since March 2024, when he left his domain, he has not been seen, fueling speculations about his whereabouts.

While some of the residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of attack said Oloyede was indisposed and was recuperating in the US, many others believed the monarch was facing a fraud trial.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a chief in Ipetumodu, said many of his colleagues, including the Oosa of Ipetumodu, who is next in line to Apetu, had stopped going to the palace.

He said, “It’s been close to a year now that we have not seen our king in the town.”

The chief noted that Oloyede was also missing critical community events.

“Last December, we were told he would come back to town before January ended, but it’s now February and we haven’t seen him. It was the IPU Chairman, Joba Akinjogbe, that spoke on behalf of the king during this year’s Christian annual prayer.

“But on the day of the prayer, we saw someone that looked like our monarch on screen through a projector. But we didn’t see his face. He told the gathering that he was not in prison and promised to come back by January ending.

“In 2024, we were told he was sick, but since then, we have not seen him in town, and nobody knows where he is,” he added.

The chief lamented that before the monarch disappeared, he demolished the “ancient palace” and promised to build a modern one.

“He was not living in the palace. He was staying at his private residence. We told him then that it was not proper to demolish the entire palace. But now, the entire old palace has been demolished even in his absence. The court was also demolished.

“Some chiefs, led by the Asalu, Sunday Adedeji, are still going to the palace to hold meetings. But the Oosa, who is the second in command to the king, and four others, including myself, are no longer going there for meetings.

“During the last event when the king was projected on screen, a lot of residents said that it was fake and insisted that the only thing they wanted was for the king to come back to the town,” he added.

A reliable source close to the palace said three major festivals – Odun Egungun (masquerade festival), Odun Edi (Edi festival), and Ota Aaje (Obatala festival) were not graced by the Apetu.

The king’s absence from the festivals reportedly created panic in the town.

“It was the king’s wife who represented him and this is against our culture,” the source said. “It is an abomination for the masquerade to bow to a woman.”

“The king and the Aaje deity are supposed to see each other in a year during the Ota Aaje festival but he was not there. It is a popular belief that the deity gave birth to all the Ipetumodu’s princes. Even the king didn’t attend Ipetumodu Day.”

Meanwhile, a member of a royal family who did not want his name in print for fear of attack claimed that the king’s wife had been running the community as a regent.

The prince said, “Residents are asking the chiefs about the whereabouts of Oba Oloyede, but the chiefs have not given them any genuine reply. They keep saying he is doing business abroad while some are saying he is sick.

“Our monarch came to Ipetumodu last year in March, but since he left then, we have not seen him in town. Although he doesn’t stay long in Ipetumodu before travelling, this one is the longest that he has not come to the town since he was crowned king in 2019.

“But we saw it online that the king and one Oluwasanmi were involved in a COVID-19 fund scam in America and the American government has indicted him.

“It was also reported that the government has seized all his property and he was not allowed to travel out of the country.”

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

12 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, including a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army, in Awka, the state capital.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

The police spokesperson said that, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed the gang’s hideout at Notoko, Awka, leading to the arrest of the confessed deserter soldier and four other suspects.

Ikenga identified the suspects as 38-year-old Dominic Oraz, a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army; 30-year-old Michael Nwobodo; 29-year-old Eze Friday; 23-year-old Uche Okolo, and 29-year-old Chinedu Gilbert.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include six automatic pump-action guns, 63 rounds of live cartridges, one microscope, five machetes, one military cap, two police teargas canisters, handcuffs, a robber’s rocket launcher, criminal charms, three Motorola walkie-talkies, one jack knife, one power bank and cash sum of N26,000,” Ikenga stated.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for the operation and urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and to continue to report suspicious activities to the Police for prompt action.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

12 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Enugu Vigilantes Beat Young Man To Death Over Alleged Stealing Of Woman’s Clothes

Published

12 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Members of the Neighbourhood Watch in Amagu Iwollo Oghe community, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, have allegedly beaten a young man, Mr. Nosike Madueke, popularly known as Wojuwo, to death over a false theft allegation.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that the vigilante group was led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the community, Mr. Chukwuebuka Hillary Ngwueche, also known as Osuofia.

According to one of the sources, the incident occurred on Monday, August 25, 2025, when the local security men attacked Madueke with “dangerous weapons” after he was accused of stealing a box of clothes belonging to Mrs. Nneka Nwankwo.

The source explained that Nwankwo had earlier hired Madueke and his co-workers to repair or dig her septic tank and soakaway, but later raised an alarm claiming her box of clothes had gone missing.

“Instead of handing Madueke over to the appropriate authority, especially the police, they decided to jointly and severally take the laws into their respective hands by arresting Madueke, dragging him to his house for a search, bringing out his clothes, and burning all the clothes,” the source said.

“They tied Madueke on both his hands and legs and started profusely, taking turns by using offensive weapons such as guns, machetes, and irons, to beat him up till he died.”

“This happened in public at Iwollo Oghe Square. How can a trained CSO and his men kill a whole human being on a mere allegation by a woman of stealing her cloth, which was later found,” the source said.

“The young boy was from Imeziolo, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State.”

According to another source, this marks the third time residents of Iwollo Oghe, either directly or through its purported security outfits, have been linked to the killing of people from the deceased’s community.

“Sometime in 1987, they shot Hyacinth Adinde with a gun and asked the people of Madueke community to do their worst.

“Also, years later, they killed Engr. Christopher Aniagbaoso, and yet they asked the people of the community to do their worst.

“The people of Iwollo Oghe are in the habit of killing the people of Imeziolo on mere suspicious grounds,” the source alleged.

“We call on the Enugu State command to do justice to this case as information reaching us revealed that the men are on the run after killing the young boy,” the source added.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the deceased being beaten with sticks by men believed to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch, who were seen parading him along a community road.

Moments later in the footage, his lifeless body appeared on the ground, surrounded by residents, some of whom lamented, “See how they killed somebody’s only son for nothing.”

According to a source, the case has since been reported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Enugu State Police Command.

However, repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain the reaction of the Police Command were unsuccessful.

Calls to the mobile phone of the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, went unanswered, and a WhatsApp message sent to him also received no response as of the time of filing this report.