Oyo Community Media Interview sparks Police probe into alleged threats to residents

Sons of Iresa-Adu town in Surulere Local Government Area have raised concerns over what they describe as intimidation and threats to their safety by a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) councillor, Mr. Adeniran Nelson. The claims follow the release of a social media interview aired under the auspices of Iresa TV.

The interview, which featured the Mogaji of the Emiolu Ruling House, Pa Julius Olanipekun, addressed ongoing concerns regarding the prolonged chieftaincy dispute over the Aresa-Adu of Iresa-Adu throne.

In a petition addressed to the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, and the local police area command, Mr. Adeleke Adepoju Adelekan, Mr. Mayowa Abiodun, and Mr. Afolabi Oluranti explained that Iresa TV’s mission is to promote the town’s cultural heritage.

They further argued that the broadcast fell within their constitutional rights under Nigeria’s Freedom of Information and Freedom of Expression laws.

The interview, released in May 2025, featured Pa Olanipekun voicing concerns over what he referred to as internal sabotage within the Emiolu family. Notably, he named “Lasun Olaleye” as one of the alleged saboteurs—a name closely linked to the Oyo State Commissioner of Agriculture, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, who also hails from the Emiolu family and is reportedly a contender for the disputed throne since 2019.

Following the interview, Iresa TV management and staff claim they have faced online harassment and threats of physical harm from supporters of the Commissioner. The Commissioner has so far been unreachable for comments. However, online activity reviewed by this reporter indicates multiple instances of verbal attacks against the platform and its contributors.

According to the Mogaji, the Emiolu family is currently embroiled in a court battle against Prince Adeyeye Oyerinde, who claims to be the rightful Aresa-Adu of Iresa-Adu. Pa Olanipekun accused certain family members of disrupting the case’s final hearing on April 30, 2025, by introducing a new lawyer and filing new motions, resulting in further delays.

A court document circulating online, dated April 2025, lists claimants including Lafenwa Popoola, Timothy Tuwagun, Kola Oladipo, and Oladele Olaleye. It alleges they were unaware of the ongoing case that began in August 2024. Another elder Prince Tunwagun identified Oladele Olaleye as a brother to Commissioner Olaleye and suggested that the recent legal maneuvers could indicate the Commissioner’s indirect involvement.

“It’s been almost seven years without a king. The family is fed up, the kingmakers are fed up, and Iresa-Adu town is fed up. That’s why our Mogaji has been forced to speak publicly,” Tunwagun said. Sources revealed that Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, while serving as Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs from 2022 to 2023, failed to resolve the Aresa-Adu dispute.

Prince Oladipupo stated: “Lasun was the Commissioner and couldn’t solve this. The recent actions of his brother and others reinforce long-held suspicions about his role.”

The family’s legal representative, former Oyo State Attorney General, Chief Michael Lana, continues to represent the Emiolu family in the case at the Ibadan High Court. Prince Oladipupo highlighted that the family lost a related case, HOI/4/2019, in March 2023, coinciding with Governor Makinde’s re-election.

The interview has ignited strong reactions, particularly due to Pa Olanipekun’s mention of “Lasun Olaleye,” prompting Commissioner Olaleye’s supporters to mount online defenses and issue threats. Councillor Nelson Adeniran is now under investigation by the police following a complaint alleging threats to the lives of Iresa TV staff and residents, in what is being viewed as an attempt to shield the Commissioner from public criticism.

Tensions are simmering in Iresa-Adu, a quiet town in Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State, following allegations of intimidation and threats against residents and media personnel by a serving councillor.

The controversy stems from a recent viral interview aired on social media by Iresa TV, featuring the Mogaji of the Emiolu Ruling House, Pa Julius Olanipekun.

In the interview, which delved into the town’s protracted chieftaincy dispute, Pa Olanipekun accused key family members of sabotaging the process of selecting a new Aresa-Adu, a throne that has remained vacant for nearly seven years.

Among those named in the interview was “Lasun Olaleye,” widely believed to be Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, Oyo State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and a prominent member of the Emiolu family.

The Commissioner, who previously served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (2022–2023), has long been rumoured to have an interest in the disputed royal stool.

In the aftermath of the interview, the management and contributors of Iresa TV claim they have been subjected to cyberbullying and threats of physical harm—allegedly from the Commissioner’s supporters.

The situation escalated when Councillor Adeniran Nelson, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was named in a formal petition over threats to the lives of residents and media staff. Police have since launched an investigation into the matter.

The petition, jointly signed by Mr. Mayowa Abiodun, Mr. Afolabi Oluranti, and Mr. Adeleke Adepoju Adelekan, was submitted to Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde and the area police command.

The petitioners defended the interview, stating that it was well within the bounds of Nigeria’s constitutional protections on freedom of information and expression, and aimed solely at preserving Iresa-Adu’s cultural heritage.

According to court documents now circulating online, the Emiolu family is locked in a legal dispute with Prince Adeyeye Oyerinde, who claims the right to the Aresa-Adu title.

The Mogaji alleged that family members connected to Commissioner Olaleye deliberately stalled a court hearing on April 30, 2025, by filing new motions and bringing in a new lawyer at the last minute.

A leaked list of claimants in the ongoing suit—Lafenwa Popoola, Timothy Tuwagun, Kola Oladipo, and Oladele Olaleye—has raised eyebrows. One elder, Prince Tunwagun, alleged that Oladele is the Commissioner’s brother and that their last-minute legal moves might signal a covert strategy to delay justice.

“It’s been almost seven years without a king. Everyone—our family, the kingmakers, the entire town—is frustrated. Our Mogaji had no choice but to go public,” said Tunwagun.

The family is being represented by former Oyo State Attorney General, Chief Michael Lana, at the High Court in Ibadan. Another family member, Prince Oladipupo, pointed out that a related legal battle (HOI/4/2019) was lost in March 2023, coinciding with Governor Makinde’s re-election.

Supporters of Commissioner Olaleye have since taken to social media to defend him and discredit the interview, while critics argue that the backlash is an orchestrated effort to silence dissent.