Fresh tension has gripped the Aiyegunle Ekiti community in Ekiti State following reports that the recently dethroned traditional ruler, Mr Folorunso Johnson Aderiye, has launched a campaign of arbitrary arrests targeting youths suspected of involvement in his removal.
The unrest reportedly began after the town’s Chiefs in Council demanded that Mr Aderiye return all traditional regalia in his possession on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. The demand followed his formal dethronement on June 4, 2025, after twenty-seven years on the throne.
Sources in the town confirmed that some youth leaders narrowly escaped arrest on Wednesday, with one individual, Dare Ajayi, currently detained by operatives of the Rapid Squad in Ado Ekiti. Several other youths are said to have fled the community to avoid arrest.
While the Ekiti State Government has distanced itself from the unfolding crisis, insisting it is a traditional affair under the community’s jurisdiction, it has warned that any action likely to provoke unrest will not be tolerated.
The situation, which had remained peaceful since the traditional rites of deposition were completed, escalated when Mr Aderiye, reportedly working with officers from the Ijero Divisional Police Headquarters, began what residents have described as a manhunt for perceived supporters of his removal.
Aiyegunle resident Babafemi Adeyanju described the situation as potentially explosive, warning that if left unchecked, it could lead to serious consequences. He said the monarch’s conduct was a key reason for his removal, accusing him of authoritarianism and alienation of his subjects.
The Chiefs in Council have reaffirmed that the dethronement is final and irreversible. In a joint resolution, High Chief Ilesanmi Olugola, the Eesa of Aiyegunle Ekiti and head of the kingmakers, alongside High Chief Pius Ogunlusi, High Chief Ayodele Omoniyi, High Chief Tubosun Arowolo, and Chief Ojo Omokanju, insisted that Mr Aderiye must surrender all paraphernalia of office to the community secretary.
They reiterated that all traditional rites related to the dethronement were completed peacefully on June 4 and appealed for a dignified and orderly handover in the interest of the town’s peace.
In a formal petition to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, the Chiefs accused Mr Aderiye of orchestrating illegal arrests through his loyalists, including his younger brother Sunday Alaran Aderiye and others named as Dapo Aderiye, Idowu Adekunle, Clement Alaba Ariyo, Sunday Dapo Gbolahan, Toyin Bankole, Kehinde Ogunleye, Femi Duduyegbe, and Nike Bankole.
According to the petition, the group allegedly stormed homes in the early hours of June 12, forcibly entering residences and shops in search of individuals believed to have backed the monarch’s removal. Doors and locks were reportedly broken, and one shop was allegedly vandalized and its lock replaced.
The Chiefs claim that these actions were carried out under the watch of security operatives attached to the Rapid Squad. They also allege that Dare Ajayi, the only person found at home during the raid, was assaulted before being taken to Ado Ekiti.
Appealing for intervention, the petition reads, “We write to complain and appeal to your good offices to save us from illegal arrest of citizens of Aiyegunle Ekiti. We remain law-abiding and peaceful. What we sought and achieved through the traditional removal of Mr Aderiye was the restoration of peace in our community. We urge you to rescue us from further oppression and intimidation.”
The Chiefs concluded their letter with a passionate plea for the police to act swiftly to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
As of press time, the Ekiti State Police Command had yet to respond to the petition.
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