By Ayodele Popoola

A Magistrate’s Court in Akure has ordered the remand of a self-acclaimed monarch, Adekolajo Aladeseyi, who allegedly installed himself as the Olujare of Ijare in the Ifedore Government Area of the Ondo State without the required government approval.

Aladeseyi was arraigned yesterday alongside two other chiefs in the town on three counts bordering on conspiracy, breach of public peace, and wilful violation of the state’s chief law.

Recall the Hope had, reported that Aladeseyi was arrested on Wednesday alongside four other persons in the community for participating in what the police and the Ondo State Government labelled an illegal and fraudulent installation.

Police prosecutor, Babatunde Ajiboye alleged that the accused persons and others at large on  April 15,  2025, at about 1:00 am in Ijare town, conspired to disrupt public peace in the town, by installing Aladeseyi as the Olujare of Ijare without the endorsement of the Ondo State Executive Council of Chief.

The charges read in parts, “ That you, Adekolajo Aladeseyi ‘m’  Fasore Lawrence ‘m’ Ajidahun Abraham ‘m’ Adegbenro Akanle ‘and others at large on April 15, 2025 at about 1:00 AM at Ijare town within the jurisdiction of the Court did conspire together to commit misdemeanor to wit conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.

“That you,  Adekolajo Aladeseyi ‘m’  Fasore Lawrence ‘m’ Ajidahun Abraham ‘m’ Adegbenro Akanle ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, time and place at about the aforementioned Magisterial District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace by illegally and purport to install one Adekolajo Aladeseyi as the Olujare of Ijare without the approval of the Ondo State Executive Council of Chief.

The offences contravene Section 517, 249 and  15(1) (2) (a) (b) of the Ondo State Chiefs Law Cap. 27 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor prayed for an adjournment to prepare his case and gather his seven witnesses.

Defence counsels, led by Adelanke Akinrata, urged the court to grant the accused persons bail in the most liberal terms arguing that they are presumed to be innocent until proved guilty.

He assured the court that the accused persons would be present for their trial and requested the prosecution to afford them all the evidence and documents they wished to rely on.

Akinrata added that the accused would not tamper with the investigation which had long been concluded, saying they are respected community chiefs unlikely to cause any crisis.

In his response, the complainants’s counsel, Wemimo Olaniran informed the court that there would be  crisis in the town if the accused persons were granted bail, saying there was a detachment of police to maintain peace in the town over the obaship crisis.

Olaniran, a kingmaker in the town revealed that his colleagues are living in fear of being attacked by hoodlums loyal to the accused persons.

Magistrate Jaiyeola Ogungade adjourned the ruling on the bail application to May 12, 2025 and ordered that the suspects remain in police custody pending the determination of the application.