As family go into hiding
The disputes over the chieftaincy tussle within the Alausa chieftaincy family of Ikorodu, took an ugly dimension with the murder of Chief Razak Alausa, the Balogun Bobajiroro of Ikorodu Division.
He was allegedly killed by his brother, Mr Tajudeen Alausa, who was interested in the family chieftaincy conferred on him in February, 2022, when his thugs stormed Chief Razak’s house and set it ablaze.
This incident happened on June 17th, 2022, about five months after Chief Rasak was picked among others, including his wealthy brother, Tajudeen, as the preferred candidate for the title.
The inferno that erupted woke people up from their sleep, but the deed was done before they could get there.
The Chieftaincy dispute, which degenerated into the burning of Chief Rasak’s house and his death, we gathered, started when the Alausa chieftaincy family decided and presented him as a consensus candidate for the vacant traditional title after many years that the title, which belonged to the family, has been vacant for several years due to internal crisis.
While other aspirants within the family withdrew their aspirations for the deceased, it was gathered that Mr Tajudeen Alausa, younger brother to the consensus candidate and a known land speculator who has been selling the family lands, insisted that he’s the most qualified for the title. It was also gathered that since then, Tajudeen, who has been parading himself as Balogun illegally and boasting that he would eventually be installed due to his influence, connection and wealth, was jolted when the family at a general meeting in December 2021, picked late Chief Razak Alausa and presented his name to the Ikorodu King.
Tajudeen, we further gathered, tried without success to influence the decision by inducing the family chieftains, but all to no avail. Attempts to also bribe the king of Ikorodu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu and his chiefs, and prevent them from installing Chief Razak as the Balogun, also failed. According to family members, Tajudeen retorted to blackmail and intimidation, and had threatened Chief Razak and family on many occasions with his thugs who work for him as a land grabber. On that fateful day, Mr Tajudeen stormed his brother house at 15, Olowonishaye Street in Ikorodu, with his notorious thugs numbering about 15.
Our reporter reliably gathered from family members and neighbours that the late Chief Razak Alausa’s family, including Alausa Kehinde Kabiru, Alausa Moji and Alausa Taiwo Kabirat, were all in the house at that time. The sources also informed our reporter that one of the late Chief’s children, Alausa Taiwo Kabirat, witnessed the alleged murder of his father by his brother and his thugs before fleeing. In fact, she was said to have narrowly escaped the gangs. The evidence in Kabirat’s possession, we further gathered, has made her a target of Tajudeen Alausa who has great connections within the rank and file of police in Ikorodu and Lagos command in general, many of whom are working for him and through them, he has made himself untouchable despite his many atrocities, especially various land issues for which he has been using cult members to terrorise his perceived opponents.
He has since been threatening to get Kabirat killed. Attempts to get the chieftains of the Alausa family to comment on the sad development proved abortive as no one was willing to speak, while nobody was also willing to react to the issue at the King’s palace. When contacted on the matter, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ikorodu, directed our reporter to the State Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos Police Command who is yet to respond to our reporter’s request as at the time of publishing this story.
The whereabouts of late Chief Razak Alausa’s family members are unknown, especially Alausa Taiwo Kabirat whom we gathered has been moving from one place to another to avoid being killed. We have also been unable to get the suspect, Tajudeen Alausa, to respond to the murder, arson and intimidation allegations.