Crisis is already brewing across the royal families and may soon erupt in the Ikoyi kingdom of Lagos Island over the choice of successor to the vacant throne following the demise of the late monarch, HRM Patrick Ibikunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba land, who passed on at a ripe age of 92.
This is not unconnected with moves by Prince Kunle Fafunwa, the youngest son of the late monarch to thwart and frustrate the rotational agreement reached and assented to by all stakeholders of the town under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the then Lagos state governor, in 2006.
With the harsh economic situation in the country, this avoidable crisis may cause unrest and break down of law and order and also spread to other parts of the state if left unchecked.
It was gathered that Prince Kunle has allegedly been presenting himself as the legitimate successor to the throne, emboldened by his newly acquired wealth and top-level political connections.
This move however remains in clear contravention of the signed agreement by all as captured in documents including one titled AMMENDED CHIEFTAINCY DECLARATION IN RESPECT OF ONIKOYI OF LAGOS dated 25th May, and July 4th, 2006, signed by Lagos state government officials including then Governor Tinubu personally.
President Tinubu had, following various disagreements and conflicts over the rulership of the area, restored peace by institutionalising rotational chieftaincy agreement which clearly lists ten royal families of the town to produce monarchs in orderly succession, in the following order: 1. Fafunwa as number one, 2. Ojubira, 3 Kubayije, 4 Ilumo, 5 Idewu, 6, Kugbamola, 7 Aluko Ajose. 8 Dosumer Ajiwa 9 Adelo, 10. Dosume.
Governor Tinubu had brokered the peace deal through the full machinery of the state, chiefly the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Since the late monarch, Fafunwa, was from the Fafunwa Royal House, the logical and lawful next step is for the Ojubira family to produce the next king, and then the Kubayije family in that same order.
Akeem Gbadamosi and Alhaja Kubrat Kasali (not real names) respected members of the community lamented however that Prince Kunle has been going round making frantic efforts to wield his political clout and connections to scuttle the due process, a development that is already stirring fresh discontent and confusion in the town.
The sources revealed that Kunle has suddenly acquired huge wealth running into billions of Naira which can’t be traced to any known source apart from his alleged habits of selling large hectares of family lands without the consent of other members.
Gbadamosi said during the burial of the late monarch, the Prince allegedly refused the traditional cult group (Alawo) access to the palace to give his father a final ritual rite, apart from shutting out other members of the Family from the palace.
Our reporter sighted a video clip which shows traditional worshippers apparently stranded and complaining while waiting endlessly to gain access into the palace.
Earlier in July, Vanguard newspaper reported how Chief Magistrate O. O. Oshin of Igbosere chief magistrate’s court in Lagos, ordered the arrest of Prince Ibikunle Fafunwa for contempt of court, having flouted an order issued by her court on March 21, 2013.
The order was due to family lands related crisis.
A high powered reliable source also revealed that Prince Kunle allegedly operates in cahoot with Ahmed Tajudeen, a notorious land grabber who was said to have grabbed 15 hectares of land from first foundation family in 2020.
Prince Anofi elegushi, 53 year old immediate past Commissioner for Home Affairs, was said to also belong to the group of three with Tajudeen as the thug who invades propert to unleash violence on people.
Anofi was said to have grabbed plots of land belonging to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Ajiran area of the state, an act which may have been responsible for his inability to return for a second term with the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
Another family source claimed that while members of the family languish in poverty, Kunle lives in opulence, driving exotic cars including Rolls Royce and lives in Banana Island funded by proceeds of sale of family lands without the consent or knowledge of other members.
“Without prior authorization, an individual fraudulently withdrew a sum of two hundred million naira from the UBA account belonging to the family. Kunle Fanfunwa, at a point, sold 43.3 hectares of land worth billions without family knowledge. Later, he sold another 4.2 hectares of land worth billions without any member’s Family knowledge, using the money for his personal use, including buying a luxury car (Roll Royce) and an expensive house at Banana Island when many families died of hunger.
“Prince Kunle allegedly stole billions of Naira from family when family members were dying of starvation. He closes the door of the palace to all Family members, buried his father without the knowledge of any family member, refused the cult group (Alawo) access to the palace to give his daddy a final ritual rite and always claims that all the land in Ikoyi belongs to his father”, the source lamented.
The family sources further appealed to President Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and other Lagos leaders to save ikoyi land by insisting on rotational kingship as agreed with and signed by President Tinubu and other stakeholders.
“We are appealing to our leaders, President Asiwaju Tinubu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu and others to save Ikoyi land from anarchy and ensure that succession order is followed to allow peace and unity in the Onikoyi Royal Families, ” the source noted.
