Awujale Stool: Ogun police summon Ijebu-Ode chief in bribery investigation

The Ogun State Police Command has invited a prominent community leader in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Rasheed Adesanya, for questioning over an ongoing investigation into alleged bribery and financial inducement.

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Mr Adesanya is the Olisa of Ijebu-Ode, a prominent traditional chieftaincy title in Ijebuland. As Olisa, he is a senior chief and head of the Ilamuren council in Ijebu-Ode, with roles in traditional leadership and local customary governance.

In recent months, he has been publicly involved in matters related to the transitional process towards the selection of a new Awujale of Ijebuland, including relating with the Awujale Interregnum Administrative Council (AIAC).

In a letter dated 3 February, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Gbenga Adeoye, the police said the invitation was part of a fact-finding exercise.

According to the letter, a copy of which was seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the State Criminal Investigation Department in Eleweran, Abeokuta, is probing a case of bribery and financial inducement and requires clarifications from Mr Olisa to advance its investigation.

The police requested Mr Adesanya to report at the SCID office in Eleweran on Thursday, 5 February, by 10:00 a.m., for an interview with the deputy commissioner overseeing the department.

The letter emphasised that the invitation was issued pursuant to the investigative powers of the Nigeria Police Force as provided under Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 4(a) of the Police Act, 2020.

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“This is a fact-finding invitation…Your presence is therefore required to assist in advancing the course of criminal justice delivery and fairness.

“Please be punctual and note that you are at liberty to come along with your lawyer,” the letter read.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed the authenticity of the invitation letter but declined to provide further details on the nature of the investigation.

He also refused to say whether the invitation was connected to the ongoing tussle over the Awujale stool, noting that the matter remained under investigation and that the command would not make additional comments at this stage.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Rasheedi Omotayo, the Odi Olisa (assistant to the Olisa), promised to respond to the matter but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

Awujale stool tussle

A week ago, residents of Ijebu‑Ode staged a peaceful protest in support of the Ogun State Government’s suspension of the Awujale selection process but also urged strict enforcement of fairness and called for stiff penalties for bribe givers and takers.

Demonstrators, organised under groups such as Ijebu Sons and Daughters and Ijebu‑Ode Progressive Youths, carried placards emphasising the need for transparency and an unbiased process as they marched through major streets in the town.

The suspension was ordered by the Ogun State Government amid rising tensions, petitions and security concerns surrounding the race to fill the vacant stool.

The Awujale stool became vacant in July 2025 following the death of Oba Sikiru Adetona, who reigned for 65 years and was widely respected across Ijebuland and beyond.

Under customary law and recognised chieftaincy regulations in Ogun State, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House is next in line to produce the next Awujale, and it began internal procedures for candidate nomination. The ruling house held a nomination meeting and announced that 95 princes and princesses had expressed interest in the stool.

However, the succession process soon became contentious when Fuji music star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal Anifowoshe popularly known as KWAM1, formally declared his intention to contest for the throne, asserting that he was a bona fide member of the ruling house. His lineage submission and petition over exclusion from the nomination process ignited further debate over eligibility and fairness.

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Mr Anifowoshe later filed a petition urging the state government to declare the nomination exercise null and void due to alleged procedural breaches, claiming that some eligible candidates, including himself, were unlawfully excluded.

Responding to the rising disputes, legal actions and petitions, including one from KWAM1, the state government intervened by suspending all activities linked to selecting the next Awujale to preserve peace and due process.