Ambode suspends traditional ruler for faking own kidnap — and ‘frolicking’ around

Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos governor, has suspended Yusuf Ogundare, baale of Shangisha in Magodo, for faking his kidnap.

The said kidnap took place on July 5 along the centre for management development (CMD) road in Ikosi-Isheri local council development (LCDA) area of the state.

In a memo addressed to the sole administrator of Ikosi-Isheri by Teslim Folami, commissioner for local government and community affairs, the governor directed Ogundare to stop parading himself henceforth as the Baale of the community till further notice.

“I am directed to convey the approval of his excellency, governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the suspension of Chief Yusuf Ogundare, baale of Shangisha with immediate effect in accordance with Section 38 subsection 1 of the Obas and chiefs laws of Lagos state which states that ‘the governor may suspend or depose any Oba or chief whether appointed or after commencement of this law, if he is satisfied that such suspension of disposition is required according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace and good government’,” the memo read.

“You are to communicate the decision to the chieftain to stop parading himself as Baale of Shangisha with immediate effect.”

Fatai Owoseni, commissioner of police, had earlier paraded Ogundare alongside Mohammed Adams, his suspected accomplice.

“On July 11 at about 10pm, a team of RRS patrol officers working around Alausa had sighted a vehicle drop a male adult in a suspicious manner close by Shoprite along the Secretariat road,” Owoseni said.

“The speed with which that car drove off attracted them to that spot and fortunately before they got to the spot, the car had taken off and a quick enquiry revealed that it was the Baale that was allegedly kidnapped.

“Immediately after while Ogundare was being debriefed, he sold a dummy that the kidnappers dropped him off but unknowingly to him, it had been found out that on the 5th of July, the day he was allegedly kidnapped in Lagos, investigation had revealed that he was driving around in Ibadan around Ashi; he went to Ilorin, he went to Iwo, he was just on a frolic.

“And unknowingly to him as well that because of information that had gotten to security services that his younger brother and his wife were being questioned and were actually in custody because of some discrepancies that were noticed in the interaction they had with security agencies, and in furtherance of the synergy existing between the Police and DSS, we jointly compared notes and our findings were such that the act of the chief was despicable and amounted to crying wolf where there is none.”