The thugs were said to have beaten the woman and her co-traditionalists to a coma on Sunday on the alleged orders of Oba Babatunde Saliu.
A group of thugs allegedly working as security guards for Oba Babatunde Saliu, the monarch of the Oworonshoki kingdom in Lagos State, have assaulted a pregnant woman and traditional worshipper, Iya Osun Agbebi Adekunle Salawe, and her co-traditionalists.
The thugs were said to have beaten the woman and her co-traditionalists to a coma on Sunday on the alleged orders of Oba Babatunde Saliu.
Salawe, speaking about the incident with SaharaReporters, said she was three months pregnant and lost the pregnancy due to the beating she received from the thugs.
She said, "I was planning an Isese festival, and my fellow traditionalists came to visit me to perform a ritual ahead of the festival. After we finished all the sacrifices, they all left."
"I received a call informing me that they were accosted and detained on their way by the guards of Oba Oworonshoki's palace.
"They were accosted by the Oworonshoki Palace boys, who challenged them about holding a horsetail wand. The boys detained them and asked where they were coming from. They explained that they were coming from my place," she said.
Salawe further explained that when she arrived at the palace, she saw the monarch and his wife, but he was on a call. As a mark of respect, she couldn't speak with him while he was on the phone.
"I saw my fellow traditionalist kneeling, being beaten to a stupor. When I asked about their offence, one of the palace boys descended upon me, also with blows, meanwhile, I was three months pregnant."
She added that she did not offend the King and had no contact with him prior to the incident.
"I didn't know what I did to deserve this from them. They told me to pack up all my belongings and leave Oworo."
She told SaharaReporters that her son saw her being tortured and intervened, but he was arrested on the order of Oba Babatunde Saliu. He is still in police custody.
Salawe, however, called on the Lagos State Police Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure that she receives justice.
Akogun Adewale Adekunle, the husband of Iya Osun, alleged that it was not the first time the Monarch had mobilised his thugs to assault people.
"My wife was three months pregnant, but she lost the pregnancy due to the beating. Someone called me last night, stating that the Monarch doesn't want the issue to escalate, and suggested we settle it amicably."
"Just this morning, my wife fainted, and we rushed her to Gbagada General Hospital because of the beating she received."
He added that the monarch wanted to use his power to silence them.
Mr. Ifakorede Ajibade, one of the leaders of the traditionalists who were beaten, spoke with Sahara Reporters about how they were tortured and beaten by the thugs working as security for the monarch.
According to him, "We were coming from Mrs Salawe's house after we finished the sacrifice for her because of the Isese festival that is set to take place on June 30."
"On our way home, we encountered thugs who waylaid us. Before we knew it, we saw Oba Babatunde Saliu, the monarch of Oworonshoki, challenging us and asking where we were coming from. We told him we were coming from Iya Osun's house.
Mr. Ajibade explained that the monarch did not even listen to their explanation before he ordered the thugs to beat them.
Ajibade said that the monarch vowed to send them to prison, but he did not know what came over him later before he told them to leave.
Meanwhile, efforts made by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of the Oba Babatunde Saliu were unsuccessful.
He did not answer his calls and had yet to reply to a text message sent to his mobile line at the time of filing this report.