Husband Of Assaulted Pregnant Traditional Religion Practitioner Petitions Lagos Governor Over Allegations Against Oworonshoki Monarch

Chief Adewale Adekunle Salawe, the Akogun Oje of Lagos State, has petitioned the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, regarding allegations against Oba Saliu Babatunde, the Oloworo of Oworo II, over his alleged inhumane treatment of his pregnant wife, Iya Osun Agbebi Adekunle Salawe.

Salawe also petitioned the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs.

According to Salawe, the incident occurred on June 2, 2024, at about 7:30 pm in front of the Oloworo Palace in Oworo, Lagos State.

He alleged that his wife, Abebi Ifamidemilare Adekunle Salawe (née Ajanaku), who is the Chairperson of Olosun Isembaye of Lagos State, was beaten into a coma by the monarch.

In a copy made available to SaharaReporters on Friday, Salawe alleged that the monarch had been trying to use his position to sweep the case under the carpet, despite what he did to his wife and her guests.

The statement reads, "My wife being the Chairperson of Olosun Isembaye of Lagos State invited some priests to consult the Ifa oracle for her. Upon conclusion of the consultation, the priests were on their way home when Oba Saliu Babatunde (Oloworo of Oworo II) stopped them and ordered them to consult Ifa for him.

“One of the priests went back to inform my wife of the situation. My wife immediately followed the person to the Oloworo's Palace and on getting there Oba Saliu Babatunde (Oloworo of Oworo II) ordered my wife to kneel down for him. My wife informed him that she is pregnant and she was advised not to kneel down due to her condition. He then instructed his thugs to beat my wife and her guests.

"My wife was beaten and she fainted on the spot. She later regained consciousness. The matter was later reported at Oworo Police Station at Alonge.

"When the police came to the place, my wife was taken to the police station by the police and on getting to the station, she fainted while writing her statement and was rushed to the hospital. Photographs of the current condition of my wife are attached to this letter for your perusal.

"Oba Saliu Babatunde (Oloworo of Oworo II) has been trying to use his position to sweep this case under the carpet despite what he did to my wife and her guests.

"I urge Your Excellency to use your good office as the governor of our dear State to intervene in this matter and not allow the injustice perpetrated by Oba Saliu Babatunde (Oloworo of Oworo II) against my wife and her guest go unpunished.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported that some thugs allegedly beat Salawe, and her fellow traditionalists to a coma on Sunday, purportedly on the orders of the monarch.

Meanwhile, a traditionalist leader, Ifakorede Ajibade told SaharaReporters on Thursday that he could no longer see with one of his eyes following the assault.

He alleged that King Saliu was the one who ordered his security guards to beat them, search their pockets, and seize their belongings.

He said, "My left eye has stopped functioning. Right now, I'm struggling to talk to you because of the pain. Tears have been dropping from my eye and I don't  have the money to go to the hospital for treatment.”

 

When SaharaReporters contacted the monarch on Friday morning, he said he had not received any petition and could not react to a letter not officially directed to him.

However, when he spoke to SaharaReporters on Thursday, he denied sending anyone to assault the traditional religion adherents. He, however, stated that the traditionalists came to his town to perform rituals without informing him.

He said, "It was around 8 p.m. on Sunday when I heard some noise from outside the palace. I went outside and saw some traditionalists with horsetails adorned."

The monarch said he asked the traditionalists where they were coming from and what their mission was in his community and they told him they were there to perform a ritual.

The monarch said, "The traditionalists were armed with various kinds of charms. They claimed they had come to perform a ritual for a woman planning to host a traditional festival.

 “I challenged one of the traditionalists to affirm whether he was truly Babalawo (Ifa priest). He then brought out his oracle, and I instructed him to use it to verify the authenticity of their mission.

 "But to my surprise, the oracle revealed that they came with a bad mission. Immediately, I called the police DPO and informed them that some people had come to my town with malicious intent and that they should come and arrest them."

He said that when the police arrived, the traditionalists begged him not to let them get arrested.

“At that time, a woman also came to appeal,” he said.

"She told me that she was the one who consulted them for the ritual because she planned a festival. I challenged her, asking why she couldn't come and inform the chiefs in the palace. I told her that she could not hold any festival in my community and she pleaded that I should not let the police arrest the traditionalists."

The monarch said he called the DPO and told him the matter had been settled and they all departed.

"The next thing I heard was that someone had beaten the woman, and we immediately ordered the person's arrest. I don't tolerate such behaviour; it is a terrible thing to fight a woman. ”Women can provoke and say anything, but we must know how to manage such situations. I won't support anyone beating a woman, no matter what," he said.