Hours after the Ogun State government announced his suspension for publicly assaulting a 73-year-old man, the Olorile of Orile Ifo, Oba Semiu Adewale Ogunjobi, has been arraigned by the police.
The traditional ruler was on Monday suspended by the Ogun State government in collaboration with Egba Traditional Council after a video of the traditional ruler and his boys assaulting 73-year-old Elder Abraham Areola surfaced online.
This prompted mass calls for the monarch’s arrest and prosecution.
The victim was made to kneel while the monarch’s boys slapped him. Oba Ogunjobi was heard in the video telling the victim, who said he was ill, that if he could be killed and buried secretly.
The monarch also boasted of owning the entire police force in the country saying he could arrest and detail the victim for as much as he wants.
On Tuesday, however, the suspended traditional ruler was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, assault and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, the suspended Oba was granted bail on liberal terms of N5 million with two sureties inike sum after he pleaded not guilty to charges.
The case has been adjourned to March 6, 2025 for a hearing.
Oba Ogunjobi, a former police officer, earlier denied being the person in the video according to the Committee for Human Rights. He later admitted at the Eleweran headquarters of Ogun State Police Command and had been begging the victim with a plot of land.
It was learnt that the monarch had often threatened his subjects using his influence as a former police officer and his wife, Veronica, being an officer serving at FCID, Alagbon.
