Following the leadership crisis which engulfed Onyabo vigilante group soon after the death of its former leader Chief Kamorudeen Bombata, His Majesty Oba Kabir Shotobi, Ayangbure of Ikorodu, has stepped in to resolve the one year old crisis.
The whole of Ikorodu division was virtually thrown into a bloody theatre after Bombata’s death as cultists, robbers and other criminal gangs took over the communities unleashing terror and killing themselves over supremacy battles.
Inside Onyabo itself, there was factionalization and different camps with irreconcilable positions until Oba Shotobi intervened on Thursday, June 6, 2019, at his palace for over three hours as all the stakeholders brainstormed.
The Kabiyesi had invited his traditional chiefs, Olombas, Erelus his honourary chiefs, prominent indigenes of the town as well as their different warring camps in Onyabo to his palace.
He told them plainly that he was out to reconcile their differences and was not going to impose a leader on them and that instead he wanted to encourage them to choose their leader by themselves.
He recounted the deplorable security situation in the area in recent times lamenting that the same cultists who came to his palace some time ago in their hundreds to renounce their cult membership, and even surrendered their weapons voluntarily to the police commissioner in the presence of all, had gone back to create insecurity, killing innocent people and robbing residents.
He, therefore, told the ONYABO MEMBERS that he wanted peace to reign among them and in the entire community hence, he was out to ensure that they resolve their differences. He pledged that if they cooperate and settle their differences, he would lobby prominent Ikorodu indigenes and other to raise funds for their operations and provide logistics for them.
Between 4pm and 7p.m on that Thursday the palace rumbled and tumbled with arguments and upon arguments, voices upon voices. As the stakeholders brainstormed, reports came that the previous day, there had been clashes between the cult groups, while three people in different parts of the Ikorodu division were killed because cultists not only fight themselves, they now rob people and kill them.
This news reinforced Kabiyesi’s plea for the Onyabo group to close ranks and collectively fight for the return of peace in this area. The Kabiyesi’s promises, including the one to reform Onyabo for wider recognition and new guidelines to make them more efficient, must have excited the war lord, fighting for power. Hence, when they were invited to speak, they made good use of this peace opportunity.
One of the Onyabo members who stepped out to speak, said they are ready for peace and that the group did not have much problem except for some enemies within who are fomenting trouble and that unless they are removed, member peace will not return to the group.
Immediately, one radical member among them, simply called Rado, pointed his finger at one Mr. Jimoh Rafiu (aka black), saying that he can never work with him in Onyabo. Other key players spoke their minds after which Kabiyesi invited opinions and reactions from his Chiefs and other eminent persons present.
Afterwards, the Oba challenged the Onyabo members to test their democratic skills by going into immediate election to choose who will lead them.
The members settled down and conducted election for nearly an hour in one corner of the palace and produced their new leaders. Mr. Rafiu Onilegboro was elected the new leader while Lekan Monsuru is the secretary. The group’s Treasurer is Jimoh Rafiu other positions will be filled out when the body settles down for a committee to handle.
When it was time for goodwill speech, each key speaker highlighted the importance of togetherness, peace and progress of the community and the need to fight the common enemies of the people who create insecurity in the land.
Oba Shotobi, who was obviously happy with the outcome of the meeting and the election, assured the Onyabo Vigilante group of his cooperation. He offered a segment of the palace for the group to be holding their meetings for now until the reorganization is completed.
He began the fulfilment of his pledge by donating five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) to the Onyabo Security Trust Fund. Other chiefs present followed suit with Chief Olokunola giving two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250,000), the Chief of Staff Kabiyesi, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya gave two hundred thousand naira (N250,000), Comrade Ayodele Elesho gave, fifty thousand naira (N50,000), Oriwu Sun Publisher, Chief Monzor Olowosago pledge fifty thousand naira (N50,000). The Kabiyesi promised that more donations will roll in.
The Chief of Staff, who had prepared a document to guide the Onyabo group, read out the content of the document which is hereby published in Oriwu Sun (see box).
To buttress the support Kabiyesi has for the group, he immediately handed over the keys of one of the two cars belonging to the group which were withdrawn during the leadership crisis over to the new leader, Mr. Rafiu Onilegboro, while the second one will be released at a later date.
There were assurances that financial and logistic supports will be increased for the group if this peace accord is sustained and security results improve.
Members of the group later embraced themselves in joy and threw banters creating a beautiful atmosphere of peace and reconciliation at the palace.
Their new leaders promised Kabiyesi and the community that they will now go out and fight cultism, robbery and other violent crimes in the division.