Thausand of youths in Odigbo town on Monday trooped out in their large numbers to the secretariat of the local government to protest against what they called illegal imposition of one Mr Haruna Adesina as the regent of Omifon community.
The youths who are from different communities, which includes, Omifon, Orita-Ojo, Otu- Custain, Akintola and Olowo and some parts of Ore, were accompanied by some chiefs in the town to the scene of the protest.
Singing various solidarity songs, carried placards with different inscriptions which includes, “Regent are not chosen in the mosque, but by the chieftaincy declaration of Ondo State”
Other inscriptions on the placards includes “Omifon town is under Odigbo, not Osun, Kwara or Ogun States” “Ondo State Police, please stop intimidating us, be neutral” High Chief Jomu of Omifon is the regent of Omifon by the law ” among others inscriptions.
The leader of the protesters, Comrade Jimi Akinyan, who is also the spokesperson for the youths alleged the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adebowale Lawal of using his position to intimidating and harassing members of the youths on the area with unlawful arrest and detention.
The protesting youths equally alleged the police of been misuse by some desperate persons to oppressed and intimidate the youths by distorting the tradition of Odigbo town.
Recall that the Oloja of Omifon, the late Alhaji Yusuf Adesina, joined his ancestors on the 23rd of November, 2025, the move which prompted some inhabitants of the community to hurriedly and purportedly installed the younger brother of the late Olọja, Mr Haruna Adesina as a regent.
Speaking earlier, during a press conference addressed by the leader of the youths, Comrade Kolawole Ademusuru, said the protest has become imperative to correct what he called misleading and erroneous information being peddled by certain individuals who are desperate to forment distress, anarchy, insecurity in Odigbo town.
The youths leader explained that every town and community has established customs and procedures for governance, particularly in the selection of successors to a vacant traditional position.
He claimed that in line with the long-established tradition and the chieftaincy declaration of Odigbo town, the monarch of Odigbo kingdom, Oba Rufus Akinrinmade is to rightfully appoint a Regent pending the selection and installation of new Olọja for the community.
The protesting youths alleged that some group of people in the community recently unlawfully converged in a mosque and purportedly appointed the immediate brother of the late Olọja, Mr Haruna Adesina as the regent of the town against the customs and chieftaincy declaration of the community.
The youths appealed to the Ondo State Governor, to call to order those attempting to distort tradition by mixing religion with traditional institutions
Describing the youths of the town as peace-loving people, who always agitate for the development of their town, noted that regency as a temporary arrangement, lasting only a few months or years and automatically ends once a new Olọja is lawfully selected by the kingmakers.
They called for the immediate intervention of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to call to order those attempting to distort tradition of the town by mixing religion with traditional institutions, especially the erroneous beliefs that kings or Baales are installed in mosque.
The youths equally warned the Nigeria Police to desist from supporting falsehood or taking sides based on alleged inducements.
Addressing the protesters, the Chairman, Odigbo local government, Mr Taiwo Adegoroye, appealed to the youths to be calm, warned that they should not allow the protest to be hijack by the hoodlums, the Council boss however promised that their agitations will be conveyed to the Governor.
The local government Chairman, later ordered that Mr Haruna Adesina should henceforth stop parading himself as the Regent of Omifon or else he ordered for his arrest.
He commended the youths over what he called their peaceful protest and urged them not to take laws into their hands
In his advice to the youths, Oba Rufus Adegboyega, said he Orunja of Odigbo, admonished the youths to be peaceful in their conduct, he reaffirmed that Omifon is under his jurisdiction from time memorial.
He disclosed that several Olọja’s that has reigned in Omifon including the immediate past, was installed in his palace, the Odigbo monarch said shortly after the demise of the Olọja, he has installed the next higher chief in Omifon as the new Regent in the community.
The appointment of the new regent according to the monarch has been formalised by notifying the Department of State Service DSS, the local government Chairman and the Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs.
Describing the youths as a peace loving people, the monarch urged residents of Omifon to continue living in peace and do everything within the ambit of the law.