By Emmanuel Adeleke
A man suspected to be under the influence of drugs forcefully broke into the palace of Soun of Ogbomoso on Thursday, claiming the throne.
During the incident, the man attacked a palace chief, Sheu Ayinla, removing two of his teeth. Ayinla is the Aremole of Ogbomoso land.
The man was said to have claimed that he would soon be installed as the new Soun.
Addressing newsmen, Ayinla said that he had an obligation to visit the palace on daily basis to ensure that everything is okay.
“ I was in the palace and just called a food vendor to buy food when I saw the man ramping up towards the palace court. I demanded what he wanted but he muttered inaudibly. I stood up leaving my meal. That is when he made for me. I should have escaped but I fell and so, he pinned me down and started punching me. In the process I lost two teeth,” Ayinla said.
Another eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told newsmen that: “The man was shouting, ‘I must sit on that throne today; I am your next Oba, you have no Oba, I am your new Oba, where is the crown?’ He broke the glass to the palace with blows but the iron bars prevented him from gaining access. He then tried a back door, which he also pulverized with his bare hands.”
Reacting to the development, palace secretary, Mr Toyin Ajamu, in a statement said there was no crown to steal at the palace.
“To put the record straight, there was no crown at the palace as the seat of Soun of Ogbomoso land is presently vacant with no no crown and nothing whatsoever is being stolen except that he destroyed the main entrance aluminium sliding door and exit door leading to Soun’s administrative office from the palace.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to ignore the rumours peddling around that he was at the palace to steal crowns or any property and those circulating such news should desist from doing so,” the statement read in part.
