Man arrested, released, for alleged death threat to Soun’s chiefs over Chief Imam
Khalid ABRAHAM
The police in Ogbomoso command Thursday arrested a young man for allegedly threatening some chiefs of Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, including the Onipakiotan of Pakiotan, Oba Ojo James. This was confirmed by sources at Owode Police station, Ogbomoso.
According to information gathered by ogbomosoinsightonline.com, the man simply identified as Taofeeq Lege, allegedly made phone calls to the Onipakiotan and others threatening that if the Chief Imam of Ogbomoso Sheikh Teliat Yinus Ayilara is removed the chiefs and members of the Soun-in-Council would face death.
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Onipakiotan after conferring with others reported the matter at the police station releasing the phone number through which the call was made..
The number was tracked down following which the owner of the number was identified and apprehended.
“He spent days in detention. However, he has been released on bail,” it was learnt.
The victims of the death threat reportedly succumbed after some prominent Islamic leaders (names withheld) who holds the Chief Imam should not be removed intervened; they reportedly begged profusely before their pleas were favourably considered and so probably escapes prosecution.
Meanwhile, the arrested man is said to be a close aide of the Chief Imam. Efforts to reach him as at the time of filing this report proved abortive however.
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But the Oba James Ojo, Onipakiotan, when Ogbomoso Insight spoke with him on phone regarding the matter did not deny he however said he was out of town.
Recall that Sheikh Ayilara is facing crisis over his true roots as the Ayilara family whose turn he is using to occupy the position has disclaimed him but has insisting he is not of the family. This has sparked a lot of crises in the last one and a half years as he stood that he belongs to the family while it is now being claimed that he is not even an Ogbomoso indigene.
The Soun-in-Council earlier this year ordered him to “step aside” pending when the matter of his origin would be sorted out but this order was defied. Also, recently, prominent Islamic title holders including the Aare Musulumi of Ogbomosoland, Asoju Musulumi and Balogun Musulumi, Aare Abdulganiyu Atanda Owodunni, Alhaji Minkhaeel Yusuf and Alhaji Abdulrasak Bello respectively, after series of meetings at the Soun Palace directed that he “step aside” pending the resolution of the issue by the family.This directive was also jettisoned as his supporters insisted he must continue to hold forte.
The matter has in the meantime polarized Muslims in the community
