#BBB NEWS| Oba of Lagos Appears At Court Inquest On Land Dispute, Accuses Officials, Local Rulers Of Greed

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has blamed some officials of the Lagos State Government as well as traditional rulers of the Ibeju-Lekki area of responsibility for the crises besetting the community, especially the deadly conflicts over disputed land.

Oba Akiolu spoke earlier today when he appeared at a coroner’s inquest at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. The inquest is mandated to investigate the causes of crises in the Ibeju-Lekki community culminating in several deaths.

One of the more recent deaths was of Tajudeen Disu, chairman of the Lekki Free Zone that oversees development in the disputed land area.

Giving testimony at the inquest, Oba Akiolu criticized state government officials, saying their greed had fueled the crises. He declared that some state government officials were insincere and blinded by their greed, leading to actions that were against both good conscience and the interests of the residents of the community.

#BBB NEWS| The King’s Speech: Reflections On Oba Akiolu’s Comment To Igbos By Ahmed Olayinka Sule, CFA

“On Saturday, if anyone of you, I swear in the name of God, goes against my wish that Ambode will be the next governor of Lagos State, the person is going to die inside this water." Ever since Oba Akiolu, the King of Lagos said the above words to leaders of the Igbo community, the incident has become one of the most talked about topic in Nigeria. Some people have called for the king to apologise to the Igbo people, others have threatened to take him to the International Criminal Court, and others have created various memes on social media, which mock the king. Some people are still in denial and refuse to admit that the king made such a comment, while others are supportive of the comments.

To get a better appreciation of the significance of the event, it is important to examine the incident from a holistic point of view rather than focusing solely on what the king said. In the next couple of pages, I will try to analyse the event from a multi-dimensional viewpoint by examining a) The Speech b) The King c) The Venue d) The Supporters e) The Target and f) The Others

Before I proceed, I know some members of my ethnic group may be outraged with what I have to say. I may be called an idiot or a bastard, however, if this is the cost for pointing out injustice, then I consider it a prize worth paying.

#BBB NEWS| Forgive Akiolu And Move On, Buhari Tells Igbo

The President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has urged the Ndigbo and other non-indigenes in Lagos State to forgive all that has been said against them and move on for the sake of peace.

Buhari said this during a rally in Lagos to address the comments made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.

Akiolu has been under fire since Monday when he reportedly threatened the Ndigbo in Lagos to either vote for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, or perish in the lagoon.

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday asked Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola to suspend Akiolu forthwith.

However, the President-elect described Lagos as home for all, adding that the time had come for Nigerians to look past ethnicity in the general interest of peace and unity.

#BBB NEWS| WATCH: Igbo Leaders Cheered On Oba of Lagos As He Delivered Anti-Igbo Speech [TRANSCRIPT/VIDEO]

While the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, delivered apparently anti-Igbo remarks Sunday, sparking fierce nationwide backlash, Igbo leaders who were part of Mr. Akiolu’s audience, helped prod him on, joining other listeners in applauding the monarch as he spoke, audio and video recordings of the event show.

Mr. Akiolu had told a gathering which had the Eze Ndi-Igbos (Igbo traditional rulers) of all the local government areas in Lagos State that they should cast their votes for his chosen governorship candidate or “perish inside the lagoon”.

The Oba supports the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akinwunmi Ambode.

“On Saturday, if anyone of you goes against the Ambode I picked, that is your end. If it doesn’t happen within seven days, just know that I’m a bastard and it is not my father who born me,” Mr. Akiolu told the gathering.