Awujale controversy: Police deny siege, Ogun backs due process

The Ogun State police command has dismissed reports that the Awujale Palace in Ijebu-Ode was besieged by suspected thugs, describing the deployment of security operatives to the palace as a preventive measure to maintain law and order.

The command also explained that a prominent Ijebu chief, Chief Adebisi Adaran, popularly known as Gbenden, was invited for questioning following a written petition containing allegations against him.

The police said Adaran honoured the invitation, was questioned and subsequently released on self-recognition, adding that investigations into the allegations were ongoing.

The development comes as the state government defended its handling of the succession process, revealing how it intervened in the internal crisis within the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and insisting that the emergence of the next monarch must strictly follow due process.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona at the age of 91, after 65 years on the throne.

The stool has remained vacant, with processes leading to the emergence of the new monarch stalled.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babasiyi, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said police personnel deployed to the palace were not there to enforce a siege but to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

“The deployment of our personnel to the palace was strictly a preventive security measure aimed at maintaining law and order, safeguarding lives and property, and forestalling any breakdown of public peace,” the statement read.

The command further disclosed that an Assistant Commissioner of Police was deployed to supervise and coordinate the security arrangement at the palace.

It stressed that Adaran’s invitation was part of a legitimate investigative process and should not be interpreted as an indication of guilt.

The statement read, “The Ogun State Police Command hereby refutes reports alleging that the Awujale Palace in Ijebu-Ode was under siege by thugs or miscreants, clarifying that police personnel were present strictly to maintain law and order.

“The command wishes to state unequivocally that the deployment of its personnel to the palace was strictly a preventive security measure aimed at maintaining law and order, safeguarding lives and property, and forestalling any breakdown of public peace.

“To ensure effective supervision and operational coordination, an Assistant Commissioner of Police was deployed to oversee the security arrangement at the palace.

“The command further clarifies that Chief Adebisi Adaran, popularly known as Gbenden, was invited following a written petition containing allegations against him.

“He honoured the invitation, was questioned in connection with the allegations and was subsequently released on self-recognisance while investigations continue.

“The command further clarifies that the invitation was part of a legitimate investigative process and should not be misconstrued as an indication of guilt.”

The police urged members of the public to remain calm, disregard misleading reports and refrain from circulating unverified information capable of generating unnecessary tension or disturbing public peace.

The command reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, preserving public order and enforcing the law impartially throughout the state.

Insisting on due process, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), in a statement on Wednesday, stressed that the government had acted with fairness, restraint and in accordance with the Awujale Chieftaincy Declaration and the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021.

He explained that “following the demise of the late Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the government had consistently recognised the Fusengbuwa Ruling House’s entitlement to produce the next occupant of the revered traditional stool.

“The government had to, however, intervene when it discovered that the ruling house was operating under three different family heads, with nomination forms reportedly being sold for as much as N10 million.

“At a meeting with the family on November 6, 2025, the government advised the ruling house to resolve its internal leadership disagreements, operate under one recognised family head and discontinue the collection of nomination fees.

“This intervention yielded positive results, as the family subsequently agreed to operate as one united ruling house, abolish candidature fees, refund payments already made by aspirants and express appreciation to the government”

Ogungbade maintained that the government’s intervention was not intended to deprive the Fusengbuwa family of its entitlement but to ensure that the succession process was conducted in an orderly, transparent and legally acceptable manner.

The Attorney-General explained that “while the government respected the traditional succession process, it also has statutory responsibilities in the appointment and installation of traditional rulers, including the authority to reject a nominated candidate where the interest of good governance so demands.”

He described recent media publications accusing the government of interference and bias as misleading, alleging that “some were sponsored to create public hostility and exert undue pressure on the government.”

Ogungbade distinguished legitimate criticism and advocacy from what he described as media blackmail and deliberate disinformation, warning that the government would not allow such activities to undermine its lawful responsibilities.

Citing Section 61 of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, he noted that “unlawful acts calculated to interfere with the free exercise of a governor’s official duties could attract a three-year jail term.”

He consequently cautioned publishers and individuals involved in the dissemination of misleading reports designed to interfere with the succession process, warning that the government would not hesitate to pursue appropriate legal remedies if the alleged activities persisted.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the emergence of the next Awujale reflected the provisions of the law, the established traditional institutions of Ijebuland and the principles of fairness and due process.

Recall that the Fusengbuwa ruling house had dragged Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Awujale kingmakers and five others before the High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode, seeking orders compelling the completion of the process for selecting the next Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.

The Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council has also dragged Abiodun and members of the reconstituted Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council before the Ogun State High Court, Ijebu-Ode, challenging what it described as an unlawful attempt to displace the traditional administrative structure of Ijebuland.

Other defendants in the suit include the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as members of the recently reconstituted Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council.

The Administrative Council are High Chief Rasheed Adesanya, the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode; Chief Chris Okunowo, the Bobasuwa; Prof. Jide Ajayi, the Jagun Aso; Chief Stephen Bakare, the Babalaje; and Chief Alade Shote, the Otun Balogun.

The suit, dated November 5, 2026, and marked HCJ/201/2026, was disclosed in a statement issued by the Media Office of the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council, supported by an accompanying court document which was made available to journalists on Tuesday.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine the authority of the Adele Oba Awujale-in-Council to oversee the traditional and administrative affairs of Ijebu-Ode during the interregnum following the death of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Adetona.

The nine-member council, led by the Adele and Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Dr Sonny Kuku, is seeking a declaration that the Adele system is the only legitimate traditional administrative authority recognised by the native law, customs and ancestral practices of the Ijebu people during the period between the reigns of successive Awujales.

A total of 95 aspirants, comprising 94 princes and one princess, reportedly emerged from the ruling house’s nomination process held in Ijebu-Ode in December before the government halted the selection exercise.