How Arepo monarch wrongfully defamed me over land – Businesswoman

Chairperson of Jimoh Akinsanya Street, in the Unity Estate area of Arepo, Ogun State, Alhaja Rahmat Oviesa, has accused the community ruler, Oba Solomon Atanda, of defaming her over a piece of land in the community.

Oviesa, who accused Atanda of defaming her in a suit before a court, petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, and urged him to investigate the matter.

The businesswoman told journalists that she went out early August and started receiving phone calls from residents that the king put her name on the fence of the disputed plot of land.

“I told them that I didn’t even know the man, let alone have a case with him.

“When I got home in the evening, it was dark, but I called some people and we went there and saw that my name was on the fence. I was wondering why he would write my name in a suit I did not know anything about.

“I knew that the land had been in dispute before I even moved into Arepo and I never had any cause to attend any meeting in that regard. I have never sat in any place where the land was mentioned.

“I, however, suspect that one of his chiefs who stays on my street gave him my name because there was a time the Ogun State Government pulled down the fence on the land and the chief came to meet me as the chairperson of the street that he wanted to know the people that pulled down the fence and I told him that I didn’t know anything about it.

“He asked if it was my excos that influenced the demolition and I told him that I did not know anything about it and that the land had never come up in any of our meetings,” she added.

Oviesa, in a petition to the police dated August 13, 2020, alleged that the action of Atanda had endangered her life and that of her family members.

She urged the police to investigate the matter and ensure that justice was served. The petition read in part, “The said Oba Solomon Atanda Oyebi has continued to defame my character and person all over Arepo and Abeokuta by telling individuals both known and unknown to me that I am one of the persons challenging his rights to obtain the said land forcefully.

“Interestingly, till date, the oba, who was eager to write my name on a wall without a valid court order or directive of the court, has failed to serve me with the said papers he filed in court. This begs the question if the suit is even genuine or perhaps one of the many antecedents of Oba Solomon Atanda Oyebi.

“Consequent on the above actions by Oba Solomon, I have not been able to sleep properly at night for fear of my safety and that of my family. This is in addition to the business connections and contracts that I have lost or have been deferred because of the actions of Oba Solomon.

“I humbly ask that you use your good offices to investigate this allegation of crime against the accused person, as I do not have the faintest idea why the oba has chosen to tarnish my image and character in my place of abode and business.”

The traditional ruler, when contacted, banged the call on our correspondent. Calls and a text message sent to his telephone were not replied.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the petition would be treated. “The CP never leaves any message untreated. I believe that the petition would have been assigned to a team or to the state CID for investigation,” he added.