The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has denied that he punched his fellow monarch, Agbowu of Ogbaagbaa, Oba Dhikrulahi Akinropo. Oluwo was accused of descending on Oba Akinropo and battered him till he sustained a facial cut during a peace meeting convened by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 11 last Friday.

Two commissioners in Osun State government and the chairman of Iwo Local Government Area were said to have witnessed the clash between the two monarchs, but addressing a press conference at the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Osogbo yesterday, Oluwo said he is not a troublemaker as believed in some quarters.

The monarch said he was only fighting against corrupt practises of some traditional rulers in Iwo kingdom who he accused of selling lands within their domains indiscriminately and grabbing lands belonging to poor farmers.
He said he only exchanged words with Oba Akinropo and did not physically assault him as claimed by the traditional ruler, who is the vice chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas.

But the aggrieved monarchs have reacted saying the lands they are selling do not belong to Oluwo. Speaking on behalf of the 15 aggrieved monarchs in a telephone chat with The Guardian, the Onigege of Igege, Oba Kazeem Adio Orioye, said Oluwo lacks the power to reprimand them for selling lands within their domains, adding that they sell lands to develop their domains. The monarchs intensified call for Oluwo’s suspension.