The Ogun State Police Command arraigned the suspended Olorile of Orile Ifo, Semiu Adewale Ogunjobi, for assaulting 73-year-old Elder Abraham Areola on Tuesday.
Ogunjobi faced three charges: conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed that the suspended monarch pleaded not guilty and was granted bail. His bail was set at N5 million, with two sureties each equally responsible for the amount. The case has been adjourned to March 6 for further proceedings.
The Ogun State government, in collaboration with the Egba Traditional Council, suspended Oba Ogunjobi on Monday. The former police officer was caught in a viral video physically attacking Elder Areola, along with unidentified accomplices. In the footage, Ogunjobi accuses Areola of betrayal with one Wasiu and harshly curses him. The victim reportedly told the suspended monarch that he was being killed, to which Ogunjobi allegedly threatened to bury him without leaving any trace if he died during the assault.
Although Ogunjobi initially denied being the person in the video, he later admitted his involvement during questioning at the Eleweran headquarters of the Ogun State Police Command. Reports also indicated that Ogunjobi attempted to settle the matter by offering a plot of land to the victim.
Ogunjobi, leveraging his past as a police officer and the influence of his wife, Officer Veronica, who serves at FCID Alagbon, allegedly used these connections to intimidate the people of Orile Ifo and disrupt the peace.
