2 Kwara monarchs to forfeit 3 months salaries over clash

The Kwara State government yesterday announced that it has placed a salary suspension and movement restriction on two traditional rulers of Ilofa and Odo-Owa in the Oke Ero local government area of Kwara State over a clash that ensued between them in May this year.

The affected traditional rulers are the Alofa of Ilofa, Oba Samuel Dada and the Olota of Odo Owa, Oba Toba Adimula.

The Ilofa and Odo Owa communities had engaged in a communal clash in May 2017 over a superiority contest on which community should first sell fresh yam in the general market in the area.

Many properties were said to have been destroyed by the warring parties, while scores of persons were also injured.

At a press briefing at the end of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Muhammed Haruna Tambiri, disclosed that after the consideration of the White Paper by the judicial commission of inquiry set up by the state government to investigate the matter, the SEC agreed that both monarchs’ allowances be forfeited for three months.

“The Council decided that the Aloffa of Iloffa and Olota of Odo-Owa will forfeit their three months salaries, and they are also restricted to their domain for the period. They must not travel outside their communities without the permission of the Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of the Oke-Ero local government.

“They should not also attend any function whatsoever throughout the period. Also, the common central market in their areas should be used only for commercial purposes by the general public. The market shouldn’t be used for any cultural, religious, traditional or political purpose,” Tambiri said.