‎Arrest Of Ofatedo Chief Balogun Sparks Concern In Osun 24 Hours Ahead Of New Oba Selection, Kingmakers Call For Immediate Release

The arrest of the Chief Balogun of Ofatedo, Chief Timothy Bolarinwa, has sparked concern among members of the community and other kingmakers, coming 24 hours ahead of the scheduled selection of a new Oba of Ofatedo in Osun State.
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‎Bolarinwa, who is one of the kingmakers involved in the selection process, was reportedly arrested at Ido-Osun Police Station 2 on Sunday before being transferred to the Area Command.
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‎According to information made available on Monday, the arrest followed a report allegedly lodged against him by the Head of Local Government Administration, Mrs Towobola, over his alleged mention of her name during a radio programme.
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‎However, another account linked the arrest to an alleged disagreement surrounding the process for selecting the new Oba of Ofatedo, with other kingmakers expressing concern over the development.
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‎The disagreement reportedly followed the introduction of two additional chief warrant officers into the selection process, who the existing kingmakers said were not part of the original three-member kingmaking arrangement traditionally recognised in the community.
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‎The development reportedly led to the rejection of the arrangement on Friday, forcing the postponement of the selection and ratification of the new monarch, which was initially expected to take place last Friday.
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‎The exercise has now reportedly been rescheduled for Monday, October 5, with the selection expected to commence at 10am.
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‎Following Bolarinwa’s arrest, the other kingmakers have called for his immediate release, saying his continued detention could affect his participation in the selection process.
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‎The Eesa of Ofatedo, Musibadeen Hameed, was also identified among the traditional stakeholders involved in the ongoing development.
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‎As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding Bolarinwa’s detention and the official positions of the police and local government authorities could not be independently verified.
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