It is no longer news that the Olofin of Ado Odo was waylaid, stripped naked and beaten by a few of his subjects. His palace got burnt, and his wives, children and courtiers scampered into safety.
I am personally attached to Ado. I was posted there as a teacher after my youth service. I found the people to be friendly to a fault.
How can I forget what a friend who visited me called ”underground” palm wine? On the way to Ere, there was this unusual palm wine bar whose owner dug a hole and put a mud pot therein. He then kept fresh palm wine there so that it would be cold when his customers started strolling in. Ingenious?
I also learned about the use of charms there. Ado Odo is near the border; few smugglers were in the ancient town. The smugglers would equip themselves with ‘ayeta’ in the hope that they would become bullet-proof.
However, many people knew the value of education and sent their children to school. Today, no household in Ado Odo is without at least a graduate.
I have gone into this storytelling to show that Ado Odo is not a place where people who can not distinguish between their left and right hands inhabit. I know there was a long succession battle in the law courts before the incumbent won at the Supreme Court.
However, suppose the two parties could have waited over twenty years for the case to be resolved. In that case, I think what happened yesterday was a disgrace to the traditional institution and a disregard for constituted authority.
The act should be condemned, and the police should be given every help in investigating the crisis. Ultimately, Olofin should be helped to ascend his father’s throne.
The culprits should be brought to justice to protect our constitution.
The Olofin himself should find ways of resolving issues amicably with his subjects!!!
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