ELEREKE INSTALLATION: GOV. AIYEDATIWA'S FLAGRANT DISOBEDIENCE TO COURT ORDERS, DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE... Bababo Ikuemonisan

On the 19th August, 2024, the people of Ereke gathered at the Community Grammar School, Ereke, where his Excellency, Lucky Aiyedatiwa presented instrument of Appointment and Staff of Office to the person of Aanu -Oluwapo Adebimpe Oguntibeju as the Elereke of Ereke, against an earlier court order.

This installation of an Elereke of Ereke (king) on the 19th August, 2024 by the Governor happened on one of our (Etikan) ancestral communities, despite past court rulings affirming Etikan kingdom's ownership of the land and even a recent court injunction halting such illegal act. This act by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, (a beneficiary of the court) is illegal, dishonourable! In fact, it marks a dangerous precedent and undermines the principles of rule of law.

As a historian, it's my duty to set the record straight. 

Historically, the ancestors of Etikanland, their kiths and kindreds migrated from Ile-Ife after settling briefly at Ugbo-Akete, later, Ugbo-Etikan etc and later migrated to the present day Ode-Etikan and its environs. The parcel of land hitherto occupied by Ereke, Etugbo, Moferere and others had been the inheritance of the Olikan and his people from time immemorial and no one had ever contended the lordship over and ownership of the territory with them until the later part of the colonial era when the colonial overlords aided the then Amapetu to continue to grab the territories of other older kingdoms such as Etikan and Aheri through colonial coersion and skulldudgery.

Suffices to assert that the territory in dispute is bordered on the north-western flank by Aheri Kingdom; on the northeastern flank by Irokun; and on the east  by Upare. The area now arrogated to Oke-Ereke or Mahin Kingdom, near the present day Moferere down to Etugbo had already been legally allocated to Etikan Kingdom in the court judgement of 1972 in a suit in which the Amapetu was a referent.

The Ereke people, whose major occupation was fishing are thus, customary tenants of the Olikan of Etikanland. They migrated from Mahin and their ancestors migrated from Amapetu. The Ereke people were permitted by Etikan ancestors to fish on the land which they currently occupied. Their original ancestors who came were offered this land to fish and were settled by Etikan ancestors - Olikan Kugbare, Majofofun Mekuleyi among others. The ancestors of Ereke people knowing that the land they currently occupied and upon which a king was unlawfully crowned on 19th August, 2024, had prior - accepted the overlordship of the Etikan people and descendants. Etikanland successfully appointed Baales in Ereke from the primordial times of occupancy until 1981 when their son, Late Theophilus Ayebiogbon Iwajomo became the Secretary to the old Ondo State Government and they felt that the time to rebel against their landlord, Olikan of Etikan in 1981-1982 had come at last. They thus, used their political influence to conspire and rebelled against the Lordship and their Landlord (the Olikan).

Evidence abound to support the claim that Etikan ancestors had appointed Baales over Ereke up til 1981. In fact, that the ancestors of the Ereke people on Etikanland paid tributes to the Olikan as gesture of hospitality and loyalty.

From 1972 to 1981 - ten years later, Ereke as envisaged trespassed on the same stretch of land, leading to another legal battle in court. The people of Etikanland filed an application against the Ereke and three other defendants for trespass upon Etikan communal and ancestral land and wherein the matter was presided over by Hon. Justice S.A Ajayi before his transfer to Ekiti State High Court. 

Prior to the trespass on the chattel or landed property, precisely, the Late Theophilus Ayebiogbon Iwajomo still wrote a letter to the then Olikan of Etikan, Oba C.M.O. Ikuesan (Grand Commander of the Order of Oghonne Divinity) seeking a plot of land on which to build his house at Ode-Etikan. If the land belonged to his ancestors, why would he ask his father's tenant for a land on which to build a house? As I write, there is a plot of land on which one uncompleted building lies near the house of Late Pa Alfred Ajimisan Ojaabogun around the building of St Luke's Anglican Church, Ode-Etikan which belongs to the grandfather of Mr Aanuolwapo Adebimpe Oguntibeju now treacherously installed as Elereke of Ereke on Etikan territory. No Etikan man attempted to trespass on the said land because we knew who owned it.

Just to be sure you are following- , the land now occupied by Ereke had already been legally allocated to Etikan Kingdom by an earlier judgement in 1972. Date of which comes before Ereke rebellion of 1981.

And just to be clearer, Ereke being referred here is Oke-Ereke, currently occupied by the Ereke people. (This part was then and it is now still part of Etikanland. It was the 8th Olikan, Oba Olu-Jamuagba, who was approached by the ancestors of the Ereke settlers for permission to establish a fishing settlement on the coastal portion belonging to Etikan Kingdom and this request was granted). 

It is expedient to mention that, this portion or area of land differs from Ereke Village, the ancestral home of the Ereke settlers, which is in Mahin area. Hence, although, Mahin Kingdom has or may have join the suit over the years, it has no business with it except for hypocritical and selfish reason.

Wait. Is Mahin truly Ilaje? That is a business for another day.

For years, the Ereke people have remained calm and respected the Etikan people as their overlords and true owners of the land which they currently occupy. But when problems arise, Etikan people do not hesitate to approach the court and they have always won as true owners of said portion of land occupied by the Ereke people. Recently, when the same arises, the case was revisited and waiting for determination by an Akure Court. For this reason, a court injunction was issued to prevent the installation of an Elereke of Ereke.

Unfortunately, with blatant disregard for the integrity of his office and a flagrant disobedience to the court, His Excellency Lucky Aiyedatiwa proceeded to present the instruments of Appointment and Staff of Office to - elder Aanu -Oluwapo Adebimpe Oguntibeju as the Elereke of Ereke. 

To achieve what purpose? To score what points? How can the number one security officer of the state and custodian of the law violates it? Could this be that Lucky Aiyedatiwa is playing politics with Etikan Kingdom or could this be a desperate bid to win the November 2024 election? The installation of a king in Ereke is more than just a political tool or a scheme to win election; it is a lowly, dishonourable attempt by Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his unwholesome associates to rewrite history. Apparently, by granting Kingship to the descendants of tenants on Etikan's soil, the Governor is deliberately erasing historical truth of not just the ancestors of Etikanland, but also the entire Ilaje Nation.

I saw videos of this unlawful installation. The Ereke people are celebrating but the entire Ilaje Nation is silent. Maybe, people are scared to talk because Lucky Aiyedatiwa is the Governor. I am a historian and it's my duty to preserve the facts of history. Aiyedatiwa is setting a dangerous precedent. Although, politicians can lie, cheat and steal and still be respected (Mark Twain) But historians must continue to tell the truth even if it will kill politicians. 

The people of Ilaje Nation may remain silent, but the truth is clear and this truth is that - Aiyedatiwa is setting a dangerous precedent that could ultimately consume other communities. Interestingly, there's a case at hand. Mahin is claiming ownership of Aboto but the descendants of Ukohi are claiming it belongs to their father.

Personally, I expected more from Lucky Aiyedatiwa especially being an elder with white beards. I expected him to not do it, because it's not right. But, he has proven that you can wield the instruments of power to perpetual injustice, distort history and make tenants Kings in a land not belonging to their forebears.

Come to think of it. That this is coming from Lucky Aiyedatiwa, a supposed beneficiary of the Law makes it more worrisome, underscores the dangers ahead and tells a lot about the principles and integrity of the fine-boy Governor.

It is a fact of history that the political sea of Ondo State was troubled in the second half of 2023 , with Hon. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa at the centre of the tempestuous sea and as a victim to be irredeemably decimated by members of the marauding cabal who were bent on impeaching him. He was helpless, running helter-skelter and his only solace was in the court and the instrument of the rule of law. It is regrettable and incurably sad that the Ayedatiwa that ran to the law and court for refuge while in distress can now defecate on the court and the law that rescued him from the talons and fangs of the political vampires that were bent on impeaching and destroying him by indiscriminately disobeying court orders and injunctions restraining him from installation of any one as  Elereke. Little wonder, our sages always say that if you want to test the character of a person, give him power. Ayedatiwa had succeeded in cutting off the bridge through which succour came to him in distress and his name will not be forgotten as the first Ilaje man to become the governor of Ondo State only to precipitate bloodshed and deepen kingdom chauvinism that was already ebbing low or out by this unguided steps. However, Etikan will not take laws into our hands. We will wait till the determination of the pending case on ownership of the land occupied by Ereke. While waiting for the verdict, we, as a kingdom, will resist militantly any attempt to further trespass on other parts of Etikan territory by Ereke or Mahin Kingdom henceforth. Etikan is not saying that Ereke has no power to have a king but we are saying that Mahin Kingdom and Amapetu of Mahin Kingdom cannot install an oba or proxy in the land that a court of competent jurisdiction had already allocated to Etikan Kingdom in 1972's judgement(Moferere Vs Ayetitun/Olikan in which suit the Amapetu was sued and they did not appeal. In the said judgement, Johnson Omo-ogun Alade claimed that Amapetu gave him the land on which the present day Moferere was situated and that Amapetu was also the one who gave Etikan the land on which they built their kingdom. Oba Mafimisebi was called as a witness and he affirmed that he had no boundaries with Amapetu on the seaside. The court ruled that Amapetu had no land around the territory let alone giving a part to either Moferere or Etikan. It was that same land in the 1972's judgement that Ereke trespassed onto.

Based on the foregoing, it is only right that the  Governor revoke this Illegal Elereke of Ereke Kingship title. If the Ereke people want a kingdom of their own, they must recognize the historical facts and legal reality and return to their own kingdom to achieve it and not illegally connive with Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to achieve it without legitimacy.

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