In the pulsating heart of Lagos, where Afrobeats rhythms collide with global hip-hop beats under neon lights and government-backed spectacles, British Disk Jockey, Tim Westwood, has long found a second act.

The 68-year-old former BBC Radio 1 icon, once a kingmaker in the United Kingdom’s urban music scene, has been spinning records at high-profile events and rubbing shoulders with Nigerian superstars, even appearing at state-sponsored carnivals.

But that glamorous exile has now ended.

Westwood faces charges of rape, alongside counts of indecent and sexual assaults.

The charges were brought by London’s Metropolitan Police in a case spanning decades of alleged abuse.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the charges relate to incidents that allegedly occurred between 1983 and 2016, when Westwood was at the height of his career hosting shows on BBC Radio 1 and Capital Xtra.

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Those shows introduced British audiences to artists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Nigerian stars Wizkid and D’Banj during their rise to fame.

His alleged victims include girls as young as 17, according to earlier investigations by the BBC and The Guardian, which first aired the claims in 2022.

Westwood, who has consistently denied the allegations, calling them “false,” is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 11.

The allegations

Between 1995 and 1996, Westwood allegedly raped the first teenager in London.

Between 2000 and 2001, another female, aged between 17 and 18, was allegedly raped and indecently assaulted in London.

In 2010, a woman in her 20s was allegedly raped by the suspect in London, while another woman, also in her 20s, was allegedly sexually assaulted in Stroud.

In 2016, a woman in her 20s was allegedly sexually assaulted in the Finchley area of London.

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In 2022, a report revealed that 18 women had accused Westwood of behaving in a sexually inappropriate manner, including unwanted touching, in incidents said to have occurred between 1992 and 2017.

Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police called for more witnesses to come forward, saying, “It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature.”

BBC apologies

In February 2025, the BBC Board apologised over “missed opportunities” to tackle “bullying and misogynistic behaviour” by the former employee.

The broadcaster said it became aware of Westwood’s conduct after it was published by an independent outlet, which highlighted a series of incidents and allegations that amounted to a “considerable body of evidence” the BBC failed to investigate properly.

“The board also wants to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the entire BBC to anyone impacted by what the review has found,” it added in a statement.

While the UK justice system was closing in on the celebrity DJ, Westwood crossed over to Africa.

An online medium, West Africa Weekly, reported that he left the UK for Ghana, as seen in a 2022 post he shared on social media.

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He later moved to Lagos, where he began headlining gigs that blended his old-school hip-hop flair with Afrobeats energy.

Between January and April 2024, he was seen in an upscale Lagos residence overlooking a private pool, trading turntables for TikTok tutorials on okra soup and chicken stew—a bizarre rebrand as a “food influencer” that some observers saw as a cynical bid to launder his image.

Videos showed him chopping onions with theatrical flair, captioned with hashtags like #NigerianCuisine.

In April 2024, posters announced his performance at the Oniru Private Beach, Victoria Island.

By December 2024, Westwood took the stage at a Lagos Island carnival, sharing the news on his now-inactive Instagram page.

Footage from the carnival captured him, baseball cap tilted low, hyping the crowd with mixes of Burna Boy and Drake.

He also claimed, in another Instagram post, to have performed at the 60th birthday celebration of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

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Sharing a photo of himself shaking hands with the governor, Westwood wrote, “Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, honoured to DJ at your 60th birthday luncheon at Isimi Lagos, Epe.”

In February 2025, the BBC reported that he held a gig in Oyo State.

By April 2025, he was spotted at industry nights, clubs, and events, and even hosted a live session with a local drill artist.

In September 2025, posters advertised him as host of the NPL S8 Grand Finals esports event in Oregun, Lagos.

Amid his constant public appearances, some Nigerians began to question his participation in local events.

An X user, Michael Morgan (@mikecmorgan), who expressed concern, tweeted, “Tim Westwood has been interviewed four times under police caution after sexual misconduct allegations. Concerned, I called the promoter, who confirmed this event is taking place. He seemed annoyed when I pressed him to answer some obvious questions and slammed the phone down.”

Another Nigerian, Ronke Lawal (@ronkelawal), wrote on August 20, 2025, “The way Tim Westwood has found refuge in Nigeria and continues to be embraced by Nigerians is actually disgusting. They value proximity to fame more than morals.”

However, as news of the formal charges against him rippled across social media on Thursday, his presence in Lagos gained serious public attention and was subject of debate.

Westwood’s social media accounts, once buzzing with Lagos shoutouts, suddenly went dark hours after the charges were announced.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has released a list of 203 tertiary institutions that failed to upload their students’ data for the 2024/2025 student loan application exercise.

It also announced the reopening of the portal for 48 hours to allow institutions yet to comply to do so.

The Guardian reports that institutions are required to upload their students’ information onto the agency’s Student Loan Application System (SLAS), which allows the students to apply for the loan.

A statement late Friday by the Fund’s Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, said the portal will be accessible from 12:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

The Spokesperson said the extension is intended to ensure that all eligible students are duly captured and verified by their respective institutions as part of the ongoing 2024/2025 NELFUND loan application process.

“Institutions are strongly advised to make full use of this final opportunity. Failure to complete the verification process within the stipulated period will result in the affected institutions forfeiting participation in the current loan cycle, a situation that will, regrettably, disadvantage their students who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the loan scheme,” the statement reads.

Here is the full list of the defaulting 203 institutions as released by the Fund:

1. College of Administration, Management and Technology, Potiskum
2. College of Nursing Sciences, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos
3. Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan
4. Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology, Samaru, Zaria
5. University of Ilesa, Osun State
6. Abia State Polytechnic
7. Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Abia State
8. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
9. Adamawa State University, Mubi
10. Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State
11. Admiralty University, Ibusa, Delta State
12. Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria
13. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
14. Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev
15. Akwa Ibom State University
16. Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo
17. Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences, Bauchi
18. Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology
19. Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri
20. Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State
21. Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare
22. Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi
23. Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta
24. Bauchi State College of Agriculture
25. Bauchi State University
26. Bayelsa Medical University
27. Bayero University, Kano
28. Benjamin Uwajumogu State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma
29. Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo
30. College of Administration, Management and Technology, Potiskum
31. College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Gujba
32. College of Education, Afaha Nsit
33. College of Education, Akwanga
34. College of Education and Legal Studies, Nguru
35. College of Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State
36. College of Education, Nsubge
37. College of Education, Waka-Biu (Affiliated to UNIMAID)
38. College of Nursing Sciences, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos
39. College of Nursing Sciences, Tambuwal
40. Confluence University of Science and Technology
41. Delta State College of Education, Mosogar
42. Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku
43. Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, Delta State
44. Delta State University, Abraka
45. Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba
46. Ebonyi State University
47. Edo State Polytechnic, Usen
48. Edo State College of Nursing Sciences

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49. Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan-Ekiti
50. Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti
51. Emmanuel Alayande University of Education
52. Enugu State College of Education,
53. Enugu State University of Science and Technology,
54. Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology, Kano.
55. Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan,
56. Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Ibadan.
57. Federal College of Animal Health, Vom,
58. Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo,
59. Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum,
60. Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka,
61. Federal College of Education (Technical), Ekiadolor,
62. Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe,
63. Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu,
64. Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau,
65. Federal College of Education, Bichi,
66. Federal College of Education, Gombe,
67. Federal College of Education, Iwo,
68. Federal College of Education, Jama’are,
69. Federal College of Education, Kano,
70. Federal College of Education, Obudu.

71. Federal College of Education, Okene,
72. Federal College of Education, Yola,
73. Federal College of Education, Zuba,
74. Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Kuru-Jos,
75. Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan,
76. Federal Cooperative College, Kaduna,
77. Federal Cooperative College, Oji River

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78. Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State,
79. Federal Polytechnic, Ayede,
80. Federal Polytechnic, Daura,
81. Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa,
82. Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji,
83. Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro,
84. Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure, Jigawa,
85. Federal Polytechnic, Monguno,
86. Federal Polytechnic, Mubi,
87. Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa,
88. Federal Polytechnic, N’yak, Shendam,
89. Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny,
90. Federal Polytechnic, Offa,
91. Federal Polytechnic, Oko,
92. Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo,
93. Federal Polytechnic, Nekede,
94. Federal Polytechnic, Ukana,
95. Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, and
96. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
97. Federal University, Gashua, Yobe
98. Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi
99. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
100. Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu
101. Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun
102. Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo
103. Federal University of Lafia
104. Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Warri
105. Federal University of Technology, Babura
106. Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi
107. Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom

108. Federal University of Technology, Owerri
109. Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina
110. Federal University, Birnin Kebbi
111. Federal University, Dutsin-Ma
112. Federal University, Gusau
113. Federal University, Lafia
114. Federal University, Lokoja
115. Federal University, Otuoke
116. Federal University, Wukari
117. Gateway ICT Polytechnic, Saapade
118. Global Maritime Academy, Agbowhiame, Ughelli South, Delta State

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119. Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina
120. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai
121. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai
122. Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt
123. Imo State Polytechnic, Omuma
124. Imo State University, Owerri
125. Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State
126. Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel
127. Jigawa State Polytechnic, Dutse
128. Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi
129. Kaduna Polytechnic
130. Kaduna State College of Nursing & Midwifery
131. Kaduna State University
132. Kano State Polytechnic, Kano
133. Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management
134. Kebbi State College of Nursing Science
135. Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero
136. Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic
137. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University
138. Kogi State College of Education, Ankpa
139. Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja
140. Kwara State College of Education, Oro
141. Kwara State College of Health Technology
142. Kwara State Polytechnic
143. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State
144. Lagos State College of Nursing, Igando
145. Lagos State University
146. Lagos State University of Education
147. Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic, Geidam, Yobe State
148. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike
149. Moshood Abiola Polytechnic
150. Muhammadu Buhari Meteorological Institute of Science and Technology,Katsina
151. Nasarawa State University, Keffi
152. National Institute of Construction Technology and Management, Uromi
153. National Open University

154. National Open University of Nigeria
155. Niger Delta University
156. Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru
157. Nigerian Air Force College of Nursing Sciences, Kaduna
158. Nigerian Army College of Education
159. Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko
160. Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
161. Northwest University, Kano
162. Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria
163. Obafemi Awolowo University
164. Ogun State College of Health Technology, Ilese-Ijebu
165. Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa

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166. Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State
167. Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun
168. Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa
169. Osun State Polytechnic, Iree
170. Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora
171. Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, Eleyele, Ibadan
172. Oyo State College of Nursing Sciences, Eleyele
173. Petroleum Training Institute
174. Plateau State University, Bokkos
175. Port Harcourt Polytechnic
176. School of Biomedical Engineering Technology, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital
177. School of Health Information Management, Uyo
178. Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu
179. Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu-Ajose
180. Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijebu-Ode
181. Tai Solarin University of Education
182. Taraba State Polytechnic
183. Taraba State University, Jalingo
184. The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki
185. The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Ibadan
186. Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua
187. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina
188. University of Abuja
189. University of Calabar
190. University of Ibadan
191. University of Ilesa, Osun State
192. University of Ilorin
193. University of Jos
194. University of Maiduguri
195. University of Medical Sciences
196. University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City
197. University of Uyo
198. Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
199. Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
200. Yobe State University
201. Yusuf Bala Usman College of Education and Legal Studies, Daura
202. Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano
203. Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara

Tunde Odesola

This is the definition of shock. A squirrel’s stomach rumbles like a faucet belching water, despite a barn of walnuts in full view. But the barn is utterly inaccessible. Fidgety on the same spot, the squirrel sits, skips, sighs and yawns in hunger, furtively watching four moustachioed scarecrows guard the four pillars of the barn. Two of the scarecrows wear buba and sokoto, the other two wear agbada and abeti aja caps.

Then came a whirlwind. The squirrel, head peeping out of its burrow in the earth, watches as one abeti aja cap goes up in the air, while the scarecrow donning the abeti aja cap crashes facedown on the barn gbooaa!

Terrified, the squirrel dashes into the ground on the limbs of lightning. By the time it came back to peep from its burrow, another scarecrow had crashed and crumbled like Humpty Dumpty. If it were human, the squirrel would have spoken in pidgin English, with a thick Warri accent, “Ehn-ehn? I see. So, na effigy I bin dey fear since all dis days wey hunger dey wire me? Human beings wicked o. I go show dis farmer pepper!” In this moment of sudden realisation, the look on the squirrel is the definition of shock.

If I told you I became an Ambassador when I was 12 years old, I’m sure you would be shocked. But that’s the truth. It was at Araromi Baptist Church, located at 42, Sokunbi Street, Mushin, that I was made an Ambassador in the Layode Chapter of Royal Ambassadors – a male youth group that mentors teenagers and young adults in faith, leadership and service. The motto of the Boy Scouts-like organisation is, “We are ambassadors for Christ,” a quote domiciled in 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Though our church is located in Mushin, where we grew up, Royal Ambassadors didn’t take marijuana, not to talk of colos, loud, codeine, tramadol, cocaine, heroin, etc, hard substances popular among today’s youths.

According to Royal Ambassadors’ cherished manual, which contains the philosophy and guidelines of the organisation, “An ambassador is the one who represents a king at the court of another king.” All churches under the Nigerian Baptist Convention have Royal Ambassador chapters. In my days as an ambassador, we learnt how to pitch a tent in an open-air camp, make a lanyard, control traffic, conduct a march-past, sing and play martial and secular musical instruments, and preach the word of God.

Of late, in Nigeria, however, there’s a strong umbilical cord connecting shock and the term ambassador. Thesaurus, the book of meanings, says scandalise is a synonym for shock. It also gives ‘emissary’ as the equivalent of ambassador.

From popular marijuana-smoking Naira Marley to tarmac-invader, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, and the content-creating irritant, Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, aka Mandy Kiss, who sought to bed 100 men in 24 hours, and earn Guinness World Record fame – the official reward for infamy in Nigeria is an ambassadorial award.

But the ambassadorship conferred on me by Araromi Baptist Church is in Christ, not in crisis. Nigerianly, the ambassadorships conferred on Naira Marley, Wasiu Ayinde and Mandy Kiss were rewards for the crises they precipitated.

In the southwestern domain of Governor Nurueen Ademola Jackson Adeleke, three issues stand out as either befitting of Nigeria’s present-day ambassadorial awards or outright condemnation. They are the embarrassment the Osun Amotekun Corps is fast becoming, the Apetu of Ipetumodu saga, and the gassing Oluwo of Iwo. Thank goodness, Adeleke has not yet glorified the ridicule these three have smeared on public consciousness by making them ambassadors. It is, however, instructive to note that he has yet to condemn any of them. And, silence, wisdom whispers, is another name for consent.

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Dear Governor Adeleke, the people of Osun are asking, “Where has one of the kings in our State of the Living Spring, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, gone? The people of Osun are saying the Apetu’s royal head that wears the beaded crown of Ipetumodu has been exposed koroboto in a US jail, shining to the derision of inmates who wonder why a king dragged his nobility in criminal mud. It is too big for my basketmouth to ask the Oba Elewon if it was greed or ambition, or both, that pushed him off the throne into the trash of dishonour. Your Excellency can help the people of Osun ask him, using the authority of your office.

My governor, the Oriade of Ipetumodu will not only be sleeping outside his domain in the next four and a half years, the Igba Keji Orisa will be sleeping in a foreign prison, wearing prison clothes, eating prison food, bathing with fellow prisoners and doing prison labour. Abomination! Do the Yoruba not say ‘oriade kii sun ita?’ Governor Adeleke, this oriade has slept outside; it should not be allowed back into the palace.

Thank heavens, Governor Adeleke has no visual challenge; thus, I ask, “Is the optics of Apetu in prison orange uniform good for the integrity and image of Osun? If it is not, why has the Peoples Democratic Party-led Osun administration kept quiet for many weeks after the jailing of the Alayeluwa? Remember, Mr Governor, many months after the Apetu was arrested in the US over a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud, your administration said it would await court judgment to know the direction to go on the matter.

On August 28, 2025, however, a US Distinct Judge in Ohio, Christopher Boyko, found Oloyede guilty of leading a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes designed to assist struggling small businesses, sentenced him to 56 months in prison and ordered him to refund $4,408,543.38, $90,006.89, forfeiting the house he bought in Medina, Ohio, with the proceeds of the fraud.

Speaking exclusively to PUNCH newspaper after the judgment, Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, said the Adeleke administration would not act based on social media reports.

Babatunde said, “While it may be true that the monarch has been convicted and jailed, there is no official record with us. We cannot rely on Facebook posts and stories to justify such a serious matter.” Babatunde added that the government would get the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment before making any decision regarding the stool.

In a shocking move that unfolded two days after his imprisonment, however, persons believed to be loyal to the 62-year-old Oloyede, subsequently ransacked the palace and allegedly carted into hiding crowns and royal paraphernalia in a bid to stall the appointment and installation of a new king. While the people of Ipetumodu are calling on the state government to commence the process of appointing a new king, the deafening silence on the part of the Adeleke government appears to be a tacit tactic to stall and hold the crown down for the criminal king.

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As a US resident, I know it is not likely to take up to 15 minutes to obtain the CTC of a case in a US court, upon application, having obtained information myself in a court sometime ago. The statement by the Osun State government that it needed a CTC to commence action on the Apetu’s case reeks of foot-dragging and hypocrisy when the king had been held in prison since April 2024, sentenced in August 2025, with the report of the sentencing on the official website of the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio.

By asking for the CTC, does the Adeleke administration intend to appeal the judgment on behalf of the Apetu? If yes, did the state governor or government benefit from the proceeds of the fraud? And, why has the government not obtained the Almighty CTC since judgment was given? Oba Oloyede is the second case of an Osun monarch jailed for criminal offences in the US, the first one being the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba, Emir, Alaafin Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Telu I. Why is the Adeleke government buying time for a king whose royal gourd Ipetumode kingmakers should have smashed into oblivion by now? Is the state government saying the monarch has been on a sabbatical holiday since April 2024, when he was held in the US? Now that the king has been jailed and the report has grabbed headlines across the world, it is absolutely unthinkable that the Osun State government appears undecided and clueless on the matter. The people of Osun need an answer to the question of the jailed Apetu urgently.

My governor and aburo Serubawon of blessed memory, getting a CTC in a US court is far less stressful than the energy you exert dancing. The people of Osun voted for you to show good leadership. There is no better time to prove your mettle than now. You bear the illustrious title of Asiwaju; it’s time to prove you are not the snail that carries two horns on its head, but lacks the power to butt.

Egbon Ademola, the lastborn of Pa Ayoola Adeleke and Mama Esther Adeleke, remember the son of whom you are. You’re the descendant of Timi Agbale, Olofa ina. You are omo arogun ma fi t’ibon se, omo Mapo Arogun, iyako agbo, omo aji lala oso, aji f’ojo gbogbo dara bi egbin. The pall of darkness cast over Ipetumodu by the Apetu’s imprisonment needs your Imole. Shine your light to chase away darkness in Ipetu.

I’m sure you know Dr Olusegun Mimiko. He is a former Governor of Ondo State. His nickname is Iroko. When the then Deji of Akure, Oba Oluwadare Adeshina Adepoju, engaged his wife in a public brawl, Iroko uprooted him and flung him outside the palace, replacing him with the incumbent king, Oba Adegboye Adesida. Baba B-Red, please, prove to the world that if Ondo State had Iroko, Osun State has a true Asiwaju, too.

But if Imole is jittery to take action on Oloyede because of his re-election bid in 2026, I’ll advise him to listen and take courage from the song titled, “Were la fi n wo were,” by a Juju musician named G Melody.

Is the governor surprised that the song doesn’t even belong to Taye Currency, a low-current Ibadan-based Fuji musician, who inappropriately sang the song at the recent coronation of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Adewolu Rashidi Ladoja? I was surprised, too. The song belongs to G Melody. But Currency sang it energetically as if it were his own, without giving credit to Melody.

While investigating the ownership of the song, I called music aficionado, Bimbo Esho, of the Evergreen Musical Company fame, and asked who owns Were la fi n wo were. Bimbo sent me a voice note containing the voice of Ogun State-based G Melody in which he told the story of how he got the inspiration to compose the song.

Melody said, “It’s my song. People have been calling me about the song. Some of the boys I trained, like Ola Liberty, sing it. Ola Liberty is my very good son. I’m not a noise maker. It’s my song. There’s another song of mine, “Kilode te n ya were, abosi?”, that they are singing all over the place now. I composed Were la fi n wo were song in Imeko, where I had gone to sing at a political rally. Some guys were trying to disrupt the rally, and I said they should calm down, that they cannot stop me. I infused it with political undertones, saying they cannot steal our votes, and if they do, we would cure madness with madness – were la fi n wo were.”

Governor Adeleke, it is high time you cured madness with madness in Osun. It is not right for a hunter to flee homeward from the forest, shouting, “Help! Help! Save me! A ferocious animal is on my heels!” Please, restore the Omoluabi ethos of dignity, integrity and honour to Ipetumodu royalty.

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It’s obvious the same affliction of greed that plagues the Ipetumodu crown plagues the Iwo monarchy; àrùn to n se Ipetumodu lo n se Iwo, but Iwo manifests a malignant and metastasised cancer needing urgent surgery. First, the Oluwo should be deposed for his criminal conviction in the US over fraud, just like the Apetu. Second, the public actions and utterances of the Oluwo negating the honour and source of the Yoruba should be investigated and sanctioned by the state government.

In an old video, Oluwo said, “Me and Ooni do talk, we have a very good relationship. He (Ooni) is the head of all kings in Yorubaland; that is the source. It doesn’t matter what anybody says; Ife is the source of all crowns. Ife is where Oduduwa lived and got his crown from. Every other king who is from ancient town is a prince from Ife. I am a prince from Ife. Every other crown that you see, that is an ancient crown in Yoruba land, is prince from Yorubaland. So, the crown he (Ooni) is wearing is the father of all the crowns. It doesn’t matter what anybody says.”

In a new video, Akanbi, who named his palace, “Aafin Olodumare Iwo,” dares the Ooni to speak Ife dialect in Ibadan, and inferred that the Ooni was not a Yoruba king because he does not wear ofi clothe, insisting that Yoruba kings do not tie their clothes over their shoulders as the Ooni does. In a moment of epiphany, fueled by God-knows-what, Akanbi also says Ife is not the source of the Yoruba, leaving people who had watched his earlier acceptance of Ife as the source of all crowns, wondering if all is well with the Oluwo of Iwo.

Were la fi n wo were. Governor Adeleke, as a matter of urgency, should take this song to the headquarters of the Osun State Amotekun Corps, where a malignant form of madness is festering.

Reports emanating across Osun against the modus operandi of Amotekun indicate that the corps has turned into a full-fledged organ of terror. The corps, under the leadership of a retired policeman, Isaac Omoyele, is a classical example to be cited by antagonists of state police. Evidence abounds that the corps now extorts the citizenry, detaining people and charging them money for bail.

In June, officials of the corps were accused of illegal arrest of residents in the Itaapa community, a situation which led the residents to stage a protest in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The Odofin of Itaapa, Olusegun Owoeye, who led the protesters, said Amotekun officers arrested some members of the community’s security volunteer team alongside some chiefs, following a complaint by a leader of the governor’s party, the PDP.

Omoyele had insisted that those arrested were criminals armed with guns, but the community said the guns belonged to the town’s vigilante members.

Before he was appointed by Adeleke as Amotekun commander, Omoyele, in 2022, was accused of brutality by an #ENDSARS panel while serving as a police officer.

In its latest show of barbarity, officials of the corps stormed the Akinlalu community and opened fire on innocent citizens, killing no fewer than four people, while claiming that they did so in an attempt to retrieve a pump-action gun some youths of the community seized.

Before Osun is turned into a lake of fire, the governor should tell his Amotekun that it is wrong to carry out reprisal attacks on innocent people while trying to retrieve a gun, just as the arrest of 20 members of the corps by a special squad of the police is commendable.

Omoyele, who was the chief security officer to Adeleke, should be relieved of his post, while a more mature, disciplined and experienced replacement should take his stead.

I won’t mind if my governor gyrates to Were la fi n wo were, sliding two fingers over the corner of his eyes while his followers shout themselves hoarse, but he must truly cure the madness in Osun with madness.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

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