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A video of 73-year-old man, Chief Abraham Areola, being brutally attacked by the Olorile of Orile Ifo, in Ogun State, Oba Semiu Ogunjobi, has gone viral on social media.
The elderly was seen kneeling down and being scolded by the traditional ruler whose face was not shown in the footage.
The Oba was apparently being aided by some thugs who harassed the man, knocking away his cap and went head to slap him behind his head.
Shocked by the slap, the distraught chief lamented in Yoruba, “I’m not feeling well.” In response, the monarch coldly retorted, “Die if you want to die. We will bury you, and nobody will know.”
“I didn’t offend you, Kabiesi. I’ve done nothing wrong. I am not interested in any chieftaincy title. I will come to see you, Kabiesi,” the humiliated man pleaded, as the monarch, whose face was not visible in the video, continued to hurl insults and curses at him while he (the victim) was forced to prostrate on his chest.
“The entire Ifo land belongs to me. I will send you to prison. I own the entire Nigeria Police Force. I will send you to prison,” the monarch boasted.
Chief Areola is however seeking the protection of Nigerians and relevant authorities from further attack by the monarch.
The victim, in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, claimed the monarch had vowed to kill him.
Although the monarch denied being the person seen humiliating the elderly man in the video during a separate interview with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, sources within the community, the victim, and Emmanuel Ojo, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, confirmed the monarch’s identity in a post condemning the video.
Ojo, who verified the identities of the monarch and the victim, condemned the disturbing act.
He said, “I came across a disturbing video online showing Chief Areola Abraham being subjected to public humiliation and physical assault. In the video, he was seen kneeling on the road while being slapped and verbally abused by someone identified as Oba Semiu Olawale Ogunjobi, the Olorile of Orile Ifo. This incident reportedly stemmed from a kingship supremacy dispute.
“The king allegedly took offence at Chief Areoola Abraham Love’s perceived support for a coronet Oba named Wasiu (as mentioned in the video). In response, he confronted the elderly man in his area and treated him in a manner unbefitting of a traditional ruler.
“Such an act is highly condemnable and completely unjustifiable, regardless of the underlying issues. There are more dignified and lawful ways to address disputes, especially among traditional leaders. Resorting to force, assault, and public humiliation is unacceptable and must be strongly denounced.”
The elderly man told Punch Metro that he still had not been told what his offence was and pleaded for Nigerians to come to his aid.
“I was the one being harassed in the video. The Oba of Olorile of Orile-Ifo is the one who assaulted me. It happened on January 21, 2025, around 11:00 AM. I wasn’t feeling well, so I went out to get some food when he saw me. He called me over, and that’s when the beating started.
“I didn’t offend him in any way. If you watch the video, you’ll hear me begging him to tell me what my offence was. I told him that if I had wronged him, he should have called for me. I still don’t know what my offence is.”
When asked about the steps he had taken after the alleged assault, he said, “I couldn’t do anything since he claimed to own the Nigeria Police Force and dared me to go to any authority I know. What could I do?
“I want Nigerians to come to my aid. He has vowed to kill me.”
The Oba has denied that he was the one in the video, saying he was not conversant with the video.