Osun traditional council suspends oluwo for six months

Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the oluwo of iwo, has been suspended as a member of the Osun state traditional council for six months.

The suspension comes a week after the news broke that Akanbi assaulted Dhikurulahi Akinropo, agbowu of Ogbaagbaa, at a peace meeting summoned by an assistant inspector-general of police.

Addressing journalists after a meeting of the monarchs on Friday, Wahab Adedotun, orangun of Ila, said the suspension was not based on the incident at the peace meeting but due to Akanbi’s conduct to other traditional rulers in Yorubaland.

Adedotun alleged that Akanbi had been rude to Lamidi Adeyemi, alaafin of Oyo, and Adeyeye Ogunwusi, ooni of Ife.

The council also constituted a committee to further investigate the matter involving oluwo and the monarchs in Iwo land.

Following the incident which happened last week, there have been several calls for the suspension of the Iwo monarch who had denied any wrongdoing.

At a press conference he held five days after the encounter with Akinropo, Akanbi had said there was a desperate gangup against him.

The monarch said what happened between him and Akinropo was a “mere altercation and not physical combat”.

“I did not punch Agbowu of Ogbaagba, although there was altercation that almost resulted to exchange of blows, but that didn’t happen at all,” he had said.

“I brought him and other Obas to the police to talk to them on the need to stop selling land that did not belong to them.

“I am fighting corruption in a traditional way. They are selling a hectares of land at the rate of N60,000, which I’m kicking against.

“I did not touch Agbowu of Ogbaagba, although he was aggressive and we almost had altercation but I did not punch him.”

The Iwo monarch added that he is a peace-loving person.