Traditional Ruler Dupes Lady!
A young non-Yoruba lady (name withheld for security reasons) has just reported on a Yoruba TV programme that she was duped by the Baale of Ogolonto in Ikorodu....named Adesina Gbadamosi.
This traditional ruler resides at number 2, Itunkeji street, Oreta in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos state of Nigeria.
This particular edition of the programme was aired on Sunday, the 11th of January, 2015 on Lagos Television...LTV8.
The programme named "Mo Gb'ejo Mi De" is based on using persuasion and employing arbitrative techniques to resolve issues among contending parties.
It is also predicated on the presumtion that public exposure of infractions on the TV may be a source of shame for budding and establised criminals!
According to the lady's account, she paid the Baale for 2 plots of land at N400,000 per plot totalling N800,000 for both plots. She was also made to pay "foundation fees" of N50,000 per plot as well as monies for other sundry reasons.
She paid the said land seller a grand total of N1.018
Million!
The first two plots allocated to her were also sold by the Baale to another party whose threats compelled her to seek clarifications from the Baale. The Baale gave her his assurances as he simply "alloted" another parcel of land to her knowing fully well that such land was already sold to yet another party!
As the victim now pleads for a refund, the Baale is employing delay tactics to frustrate and defraud her.
I suspect that the owners of the said TV programme might have made attempts to settle the matter earlier....prior to going on air....because of the high esteem we accord traditional institutions in these climes.
I think they finally decided to go on air with the matter..... having been frustrated by the Baale....after their overtures were rebuffed by the incalcitrant village head...
Holders of traditional offices and persons occupying traditional stools, as reverred custodians of such institutions, are expected to live up to the lofty dictates of our culture and tradition!
I am particularly interested in this matter because Ikorodu is my hometown!
Digressing a bit, I can reliably inform you that I have illiterate uncles who in concert with their equally unlettered children and grand-children perpetrate similar fraud on hapless Nigerians desperate to own their own homes!
Their "packages" come with a whole complement of false promises, threats of physical and spiritual attacks and cheap balckmail!
They operate hand-in-glove with the police....so they know you cannot obtain respite from the cops! They know you cannot approach the regular courts for you cannot match them in monetary terms. They have cheap funds from land sales that they freely throw around...."settling" lawyers and judicial officers! Money enough to go on endless appeal even if you win in the lower courts.
You are also unlikely to gain much by using regular arbitration channels....for they simply refuse to honour agreements therefrom or even respond to their summons!
An earlier article of mine aptly outlines the popular antics of these felons:
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/165039/1/extortion-by-youth-gangs-strange-taxes-to-riff-raf.html
I am certain their thinking is that because the young lady is from another ethnic group and can hardly understand our language, she must come as a ready "mugu"!
They know not however, that some of us have transcended the boundaries of ethnic and tribal sentiments and bigotry!
They know not the powerful reaches of the social media whose tentacles possess boundless potentials!
It now behoves us all social media users to make this article go viral....as I call on you....
....to share it freely....
This is a clarion call...
Dr Tosin Akindele is a Lagos-based Medical Practitioner.
[email protected],
@tosinmajewa
www.facebook.com/tosinakindele
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/author/TosinAkindele