Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The domestic crisis rocking the family of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, , took another twist yesterday, as the younger brother of the monarch, Senator Kola Balogun, called for the prosecution of two children of the traditional ruler for alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation of character.
The former federal lawmaker, who represented Oyo South Senatorial District in the ninth Senate made the allegation in a petition to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police.
The petition, dated 5 October, 2023 and titled: “Petition of Cyberstalking and Criminal Defamation Against Femi Balogun and Yinka Balogun”, was written by counsel to Senator Balogun, Lateef Raheem Esq.
The first son of the Olubadan, Aremo Femi Balogun, had in a letter made public earlier in the week, requested that all funds and assets belonging to the Olubadan, allegedly under the care of Senator Balogun, be produced within seven days.
The letter, dated 29 September, 2023, was addressed to the former lawmaker, while Sectional Heads of the Alliwo Family, the state Commissioner of Police, and the Ag. Commander, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Command, were also copied.
But in his reaction, the Olubadan had threatened to disown any of his children and wives found promoting such allegations against his younger brother.
However, one of the children, Yinka Balogun, while speaking with journalists, insisted that the former lawmaker was sitting on their father’s property and monies.
Thus, Senator Balogun, while breaking his silence on the allegations, stated in the petition that he was never in charge of the property and funds of the Olubadan, and that he had been running errands for the traditional ruler and also using his own personal funds for his wellbeing.
He said he was paying back the Olubadan for his past good deeds to him, having taken good care of his (Senator Balogun) childhood, just like their biological father would have done.
The petition read: “We are solicitors to Senator Kola Balogun who is hereinafter referred to as our client and on his behalf and instruction we write this letter to you.
“It is our client instructions that, on the 29th September, 2023, he checked Alliwo Family whatsapp group and he discovered a letter signed by Femi Balogun (a member of the family) posted on the whatsApp group.
“The letter is grossly offensive, obscene, of menacing character and it was complete criminal defamation of our client’s character. He posted the letter on his facebook page (Femi Aremo Balogun). Yinka Balogun on her own published the same defamatory message.
“We would address the issues raised in that letter and the publication in seriatim as supplied by our client. In the first instance, our client is not in charge of management of any property of His Imperial Majesty Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“The sitting monarch, being our client’s brother, rather sends our client on errands and our client personally uses his own funds for the wellbeing of the Olubadan.
“Since His Imperial Majesty took care of him during our client childhood like a father, our client felt, having done all these, His Imperial Majesty deserves pay back, hence our client takes good care of him, using his personal funds and not that of Olubadan.”
