POLICE IN OYO STATE SEALS MONARCH'S PALACE

By AKEEB ALARAPE Tension enveloped Oyo at the weekend as about 250 armed policemen swooped on the Ashipa Palace at Isale Oyo and sealed the premises off. In what looked like a commando operation, the policemen arrived the premises in 15 patrol vehicles and accompanied by two Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles. Although nobody was arrested, women and children as well as owners of shops adjoining the palace were also chased away by the security men. The personal vehicle, a KIA Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) of the head of Ashipa family and Alago of Ago-Oja, Chief Ganiyu Busari Ajiboye was taken away by the policemen. Speaking with Daily Sun on the incident, embattled Ajiboye said he was yet to be accused of any crime or wrongdoing. “The boy that was met at the palace challenged the police on the rationale for the invasion and demanded for their charge warrant, but they could not produce any. “He asked them for any court order to justify their action, the policemen told him they were acting on the verbal order from the above . “You remember that I was taken to court upper week for impersonation and remanded in prison but God came to my rescue and I was able to perfect my bail conditions. So, I don’t know what else I have done to warrant this injustice and executive high-handedness. “The palace is my ancestral home and not government property. My car that was taken away was bought by myself and not from government. I don’t know my offence,” Ajiboye said. When contacted on the incident yesterday, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Oyo State command, Mr. Abiodun Lanade, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said he was not around at the weekend to know what actually happened as he travelled out of the state. “I have not been around . So, I can’t attend to your enquiry until tomorrow when I get to the office,” Lanade stated. Informed sources at Isale-Oyo told Daily Sun that about 35 fully armed policemen were still occupying the Ashipa palace as at yesterday. 0 Email Share