Prince Adebayo Nasiru Bolawale, a claimant to the Salu of Edunabon stool in Osun State, has urged the Nigeria Police Force to be allowed to carry out its investigation into alleged threats to his life without interference.
Bolawale made the call in a statement issued on Friday, reacting to recent comments credited to Oba Adesoji Kehinde Oladepo, the Salu of Edunabon, in which the monarch reportedly asked the Inspector-General of Police to ignore the petition submitted against him.
The prince said his petition to the police was neither a political move nor a media stunt, but a formal complaint submitted to the Force Headquarters in Abuja following what he described as a violent attack on his person, which he said he reasonably perceived as a threat to his life.
According to him, the matter is currently under investigation, adding that no individual, regardless of status, should attempt to trivialise or obstruct a lawful police inquiry.
He called on Oba Oladepo to refrain from public commentary on the matter and allow law enforcement agencies to perform their constitutional duties, stressing that allegations of criminal conduct should be addressed through professional investigation rather than media exchanges.
Prince Bolawale also dismissed claims that he lost the contest for the Salu of Edunabon stool, describing such assertions as false and misleading. He said the Court of Appeal had recently set aside an earlier judgment of the Osun State High Court and ordered that the case be heard afresh on its merits.
He noted that the appellate court ruled that the issues he raised were substantive and could not be dismissed summarily, adding that the judgment remains binding unless overturned by a higher court.
The prince further stated that he was duly selected and nominated by Edunabon kingmakers and subsequently presented to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, who, according to him, gave formal consent to his nomination in a letter dated November 22, 2018, and addressed to the Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He said this forms the basis of his ongoing legal challenge to the installation of Oba Oladepo as Salu of Edunabon, insisting that his lawful selection was unlawfully set aside.
While expressing respect for traditional institutions and the rule of law, Prince Bolawale stressed that his personal safety remained paramount. He therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the conclusion of the ongoing investigation without fear or favour.
He also called on the police to investigate the recovery of a single-barrel gun allegedly found at Oba Oladepo’s residence during a search conducted after his petition, claiming that the weapon matched the description of the firearm allegedly used in the attack against him.
The prince said he remained confident in the justice system and insisted that no Nigerian should be endangered or silenced for demanding due process.
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