Iresa-Adu town of Surulere LGA, Oyo State, almost descended into chaos a day before the Eid-Fitri celebration, as a result of protests from Youths and stakeholders of the community over the vacancy of the Aresa-Adu of Iresa-Adu for almost 10years.

The stakeholders security meeting scheduled to combat against unknown people encroaching Iresa villages and suburbs following kidnapping incident in neighbouring Oriire Local Governments, decended to a protest demanding for filling the vacant throne of the Aresa of Iresa-Adu with visible placards, asking for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s urgent intervention.

It took the intervention of the Community leaders, elders, religious leaders, and law enforcement agencies present in the security meeting to calm the protesters, and therefore allowed the protesters to join the security meeting in order to avoid the security meeting turning into an all out chaos.

What was noticeable by news media present at the security meeting was that the community lack traditional leadership. Baales, Head of Royal Families, High Chiefs, and many others present expressed several opinions and grievances but it seemed there was no common consensus in coordinating security strategy without the central coordination role of the Oba Aresa of Iresa-Adu.

The youths with various placards stating their demands from the government were agitated about the lack of their King for “almost 10years”. One of the protesters said “this security meeting is just another meeting in the series of meeting stakeholders have been having in Iresa-Adu in the past 8years without meaningful benefits to the community”.

One of the protesters said, “Imagine an ancient town with so much history and heritage, yet we do not have permanent Higher Institution, we do not have a bank, we do not have a King or palace. We have to travel to other towns for the most basic needs. Our women have to travel to other communities to sell their farm produce because we do not have a market in Iresa-Adu. Look at the Town Hall behind me, it is looking bad and yet, we host all visitors in Iresa-Adu here because we do not have a palace. Youths from other communities laugh at us, our existence is shameful”.

When asked about Prince Oyerinde Adeyeye who has been self-proclaiming himself to be the Aresa-Adu for the last 8years, one protester responded, you mean “Obasawogbo” meaning a ‘king that ran into bush’. The protester carried on, “Adeyeye came from no where and tried to impose himself on us as king in 2019. He his brothers with the late Oba Jimoh Oloyede, both are from the Oshunbiyi Family, and there is rotation gazette amongst the Emiolu and Oshunbiyi Ruling Houses of Iresa-Adu. It is impossible that Adeyeye can be Aresa-Adu. The entire community knows it is the turn of Emiolu Family to produce the next Aresa. In June 2019, when Adeyeye came to parade himself as new king, the community both young and old, including the High Chiefs beat and chased Adeyeye and his entire entourage out of town. Prince Adeyeye first ran into the bush, and then managed to seek refuge at the Iresa-Adu police station, that is why he his nicknamed, “Obasawogbo”.

Another protest went further, “Adeyeye (Obasawogbo), is only known for going round selling people’s lands and unlawfully installing Baales and Chiefs, just causing problems amongst the Royal families and the communities. Not one of all the Kingmakers recognise Adeyeye as king and his own family, Oshunbiyi Ruling House, even said they never nominated him as King. The damage done to Iresa heritage in the last 8years is unforgivable”.

Another protester said, only Governor Seyi Makinde can save us in Iresa-Adu. Some people are financially and politically benefiting and exploiting from the lack of a Oba in Iresa-Adu and they are constantly turning the Ruling Families back against each other. Aresa-Adu has the largest land mass in Surulere LGA. Even when the time comes, these exploiters want to impose a weak king on us for their own personal benefits. Look at the calibre of kings these days, we strongly believe only Governor Seyi Makinde can use his executive powers to reset the rotation amongst the two Ruling Families and give us a befitting king”.

Iresa-Adu town of Surulere LGA, Oyo State, almost descended into chaos a day before the Eid-Fitri celebration, as a result of protests from Youths and stakeholders of the community over the vacancy of the Aresa-Adu of Iresa-Adu for almost 10years.

The stakeholders security meeting scheduled to combat against unknown people encroaching Iresa villages and suburbs following kidnapping incident in neighbouring Oriire Local Governments, decended to a protest demanding for filling the vacant throne of the Aresa of Iresa-Adu with visible placards, asking for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s urgent intervention.

It took the intervention of the Community leaders, elders, religious leaders, and law enforcement agencies present in the security meeting to calm the protesters, and therefore allowed the protesters to join the security meeting in order to avoid the security meeting turning into an all out chaos.

What was noticeable by news media present at the security meeting was that the community lack traditional leadership. Baales, Head of Royal Families, High Chiefs, and many others present expressed several opinions and grievances but it seemed there was no common consensus in coordinating security strategy without the central coordination role of the Oba Aresa of Iresa-Adu.

The youths with various placards stating their demands from the government were agitated about the lack of their King for “almost 10years”. One of the protesters said “this security meeting is just another meeting in the series of meeting stakeholders have been having in Iresa-Adu in the past 8years without meaningful benefits to the community”.

One of the protesters said, “Imagine an ancient town with so much history and heritage, yet we do not have permanent Higher Institution, we do not have a bank, we do not have a King or palace. We have to travel to other towns for the most basic needs. Our women have to travel to other communities to sell their farm produce because we do not have a market in Iresa-Adu. Look at the Town Hall behind me, it is looking bad and yet, we host all visitors in Iresa-Adu here because we do not have a palace. Youths from other communities laugh at us, our existence is shameful”.

When asked about Prince Oyerinde Adeyeye who has been self-proclaiming himself to be the Aresa-Adu for the last 8years, one protester responded, you mean “Obasawogbo” meaning a ‘king that ran into bush’. The protester carried on, “Adeyeye came from no where and tried to impose himself on us as king in 2019. He his brothers with the late Oba Jimoh Oloyede, both are from the Oshunbiyi Family, and there is rotation gazette amongst the Emiolu and Oshunbiyi Ruling Houses of Iresa-Adu. It is impossible that Adeyeye can be Aresa-Adu. The entire community knows it is the turn of Emiolu Family to produce the next Aresa. In June 2019, when Adeyeye came to parade himself as new king, the community both young and old, including the High Chiefs beat and chased Adeyeye and his entire entourage out of town. Prince Adeyeye first ran into the bush, and then managed to seek refuge at the Iresa-Adu police station, that is why he his nicknamed, “Obasawogbo”.

Another protest went further, “Adeyeye (Obasawogbo), is only known for going round selling people’s lands and unlawfully installing Baales and Chiefs, just causing problems amongst the Royal families and the communities. Not one of all the Kingmakers recognise Adeyeye as king and his own family, Oshunbiyi Ruling House, even said they never nominated him as King. The damage done to Iresa heritage in the last 8years is unforgivable”.

Another protester said, only Governor Seyi Makinde can save us in Iresa-Adu. Some people are financially and politically benefiting and exploiting from the lack of a Oba in Iresa-Adu and they are constantly turning the Ruling Families back against each other. Aresa-Adu has the largest land mass in Surulere LGA. Even when the time comes, these exploiters want to impose a weak king on us for their own personal benefits. Look at the calibre of kings these days, we strongly believe only Governor Seyi Makinde can use his executive powers to reset the rotation amongst the two Ruling Families and give us a befitting king”.