‘Serial criminal on the throne?’ Oluwo of Iwo’s dethronement perfected as benefactors abandon him

In what looked like a deteriorating case between the Iwo kingmakers and the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the latter may finally be on his way off the throne and out of the palace as his confidants and most of those instrumental to his selection as king are now allegedly aligning with his dethronement.

Recall that in a letter to the Osun State Government dated June 17, 2020, the Association of Iwoland Indigenes in Diaspora through their lawyer, Peter Adeosun, raised a number of allegations against the monarch, calling for his removal for gross abuse of office.

They said Oba Akanbi’s character did not befit a person of his status and calibre as he always moved around with armed thugs, miscreants and hoodlums to harass, intimidate, molest and attack persons whom he perceives as enemies.

The Iwo indigenes also accused Oba Akanbi of being an ex-convict, who served time in United States jail for credit card fraud, drug trafficking among other criminal acts.

Freelanews gathered that the development has since sent the flamboyant monarch into panic especially after his style of leadership and mode of operation became a source of concern for some members of the public and indeed fellow traditional rulers across Yorubaland.

In documents seen by Freelanews, it emerged that indeed Oba Akanbi was a serial criminal deported from the US to Nigeria on May 18, 1999 after his conviction in 1998. He was again convicted after he made attempts to re-enter the US through a Canadian visa on March 11, 2011, using the name Segun Adewale Adeonigbagbe.

Through database secondary inspection and biometric at the Peace Porth of Entry in Buffalo, New York, it was revealed that Oba Akanbi had Canadian criminal convictions and a Nigerian citizen convicted in the United States in the past.

As his case worsens, Freelanews has gathered that most of those instrumental to his emergence as king as his financial support base have abandoned him.

A source, who didn’t want his name mentioned, stated, “Most of his friends have abandoned him due to his attitude. He must have betrayed a lot of them when he finally ascended the throne for Remi Morgan to have stayed silent on his matter. It was Morgan who accommodated him at his Bodija’s home when he arrived Nigeria and made him up as a car dealerduring the Oluwo selection process in order for people to believe he was wealthy back then.

“The moment he became king, he started disrespecting his benefactors like Remi Morgan, Abiola Oguntokun, Chief Akanbi and others; the heavyweights that stood by him when he wanted to become king. He ridiculed all of them.”

On whether anything could still be done to salvage the situation, Freelanews’ source stated that he would make last attempts to rally these people together for peace meeting.

“I plan to see all of them soon and discuss how we can save the recalcitrant king from destruction,” he said.

Oba Akanbi became the Oluwo of Iwoland in January 2016, after the then governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, gave him a staff of office. The official coronation was attended by several political office holders and various monarchs across Yorubaland, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Find below the many controversies Oba Akanbi has been involved in ever since ascending the throne four years ago.

Less than two years in office, Oba Akanbi fell out with the erstwhile publicity secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Abiola Ogundokun. He stripped him of the chieftaincy titles conferred on him by the Iwo Traditional Council after accusing the politician of disrespecting him as well as making utterances and actions he described as anti-Iwo. According to Ogundokun, an honest advice to Oluwo to stop some of his “odd attitude and illegality did not go down well with the monarch” and it sparked the disagreement between them.

He accused Oba Akanbi of planning to destroy the tradition of Iwo by not only equating himself with the gods but also crowning his wife. Ogundokun sued the monarch. He also alleged that the Oluwo wanted to beat him in the presence of Aregbesola presence during a peace meeting.

Meanwhile, Gboyega Oyetola, the current governor of Osun in January this year reportedly reunited the duo.

Another one was on October 7, 2018, when Nigerians from all walks of life trooped to the palace of Akanbi to celebrate his 50th birthday anniversary, as well as his second anniversary on the throne. He was interviewed afterwards and he condemned Yoruba deities.

“Ogun – the god of Iron, which my Yoruba people relish to celebrate – I would want to ask: Was there iron before Ogun or Ogun before iron? The Ogun we are talking about was just a blacksmith and his only invention was nothing but cutlass. After Ogun, there have been several inventions. Why are the inventors not made deities now?”

“When Ogun and the other deities were canonised as deities, it was during the dark ages, when we were not as civilized as we are today, but that can no longer be allowed to continue in this age and era… ”

In another interview, the monarch disclosed how he boycotted some rites and rituals before ascending the throne. Akanbi also spoke about how he removed 800-year-old deity from his palace because it oozed poor odour.

“…whether you perform the rites or not, the day the government announces you as the king, that is settled,” he responded when asked the reasons for boycotting rites and rituals.

In 2018, during Eld-l-Fitri prayer, an Imam in a viral video accused Oba Akanbi of attempting to sleep with his wife. The Imam simply identified as Adio confronted Oluwo during what was meant to be a sallah prayer session.

On that same day, the Imam who was supposed to lead the prayer during the event was sidelined by the monarch who argued that he was in the best position to lead the congregation.

After the uproar on social media, the Oluwo trivialised the allegation. He simply said the Imam’s accusation would only make him more famous around the world.

Not done, in February 2018, Mr Akanbi alleged that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, ordered his bodyguard to push him out of the way during a meeting of traditional rulers in the country held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Oba Adeyeye denied the allegation. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, the Ooni said “there was no altercation between Oluwo and anybody at that venue at all.”

While Ooni of Ife the press that there was no rancour between him and the Oluwo, Oba Akanbi in April 2018 said there was a racour which was later settled at a meeting of the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers.

“At that meeting, we were quite blunt. I told some Obas at the meeting that they are not doing the Ooni any good, when they keep praising him. If they genuinely want to help him succeed as the Ooni, they should endeavour to tell him the truth at all times. That is what the Ooni requires and not praise-singing… After the meeting, the Ooni and I had an almost three-hour closed-door meeting, where we ironed out so many things and told each other the home truth…”

Oluwo also tackled Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi, in May 2019, over alleged disunity among traditional rulers and security challenges ravaging Yorubaland. He lambasted the respected monarch alongside Ooni of Ile Ife.

Oba Akanbi in a statement by his spokesperson, Alli Ibraheem, said the disunity assailing the traditional institution meant both the Ooni and the Alaafin were losing their grip on the Yoruba race. The two monarchs simply ignored him.

Oluwo of Iwo, in March 2018, made history when he claimed to drop the title of Oba and declared his preference to adopt the Emir title popularly known with Northern traditional rulers

He said Yoruba traditional rulers lacked cooperation and ideal royal attributes, saying the Yoruba Obas have been polarized owing to enmities.

After widespread condemnation by the public, the Oluwo defended his adoption of the Emir of Yoruba land title, saying it was a “metaphor” of the disunity among traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

He also said those criticising his decision were not exposed, saying that there was a need to change the past for a better present and future.

Oba Akanbi assaulted Agboowu of Ogbaagba, Dhikrulahi Akinropo, over a land dispute in Iwo land.

The assault reportedly took place at the office of the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 11, in Osogbo.

While the meeting was ongoing, Oluwo of Iwoland allegedly stood up from where he was sitting and ‘descended’ on Mr Akinropo who was later rushed to hospital. He later denied assaulting his colleague.

Victor Ojelabi