The Baale of Apena community in Obada-Oko, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Chief Abiodun Gbadamosi, has petitioned the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, seeking intervention over what he described as a malicious prosecution on alleged false charges, including armed robbery.
Gbadamosi also alleged threat to his life, accusing the traditional ruler of Obada-Oko, Oba Abiodun Olufemi Solaja, of trespassing on his family land and orchestrating acts of intimidation.
In a petition dated May 6, 2027, and made available to journalists on Monday, the community leader appealed to the governor to “save his soul” from what he termed sustained harassment and injustice.
The Baale said the crisis stemmed from a land dispute in September 2021, when the monarch and his brother, Dotun Solaja, allegedly accused him of attacking one Lekan Jogunomi with a machete, stealing his wristwatch, and damaging his vehicle.
He, however, denied the allegations, insisting he was nowhere near the disputed land at the time of the incident.
Gbadamosi said, “The allegations were baseless. I did not attack anyone, nor was I present at the scene as claimed.”
He explained that he was subsequently arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command, Lagos, and arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Itori on charges bordering on armed robbery and related offences.
According to him, he was remanded at the Ilaro Correctional Centre before securing bail.
The Baale further disclosed that a follow-up investigation by the police X-Squad in Eleweran, Abeokuta, alongside his lawyer, raised questions over the authenticity of a medical report allegedly issued to the complainant.
He said the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, in a letter dated January 26, 2024, disowned the medical report, stating that it did not emanate from the facility.
Gbadamosi added that the police subsequently concluded that the document was forged.
He noted that Justice A. A. Babawale of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta, eventually discharged and acquitted him of all four counts on July 1, 2025.
Despite the acquittal, the Baale alleged that efforts to prosecute those behind the purported forgery had been frustrated by the state’s Bureau of Public Prosecution.
He claimed that repeated petitions to the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice had yielded no result.
“Till date, the Bureau of Public Prosecution has not issued legal advice to enable the arraignment of those involved. Meanwhile, they continue to encroach on our land, destroy property, and threaten buyers who legitimately acquired land from my family,” he said.
Gbadamosi also alleged that invitations extended to the monarch and his brother by the police anti-land grabbing unit were ignored.
He said he was compelled to go public due to fears for his safety.
“I can no longer sleep with my two eyes closed. I am calling on the governor to urgently intervene before something sinister happens,” he added.
When contacted, the Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Sina Ogungbade, confirmed awareness of the case but dismissed allegations of inaction.
He stated that prosecution decisions are discretionary and must be guided by available evidence, not public pressure.
