A 30-year-old man, Bukola Adediji, popularly known as Ajanlekoko, on Thursday, broke into the Palace of Soun of Ogbomoso and destroyed some property.
The man was said to be a drug addict and suspected to be mentally unstable.
It was gathered that the intruder attacked one of the chiefs who tried to prevent him from going inside the sitting room and knocked off the chief’s teeth during the attack.
The Soun stool became vacant following the demise of Oba Oladunni Oyewumi on December 12, 2021. And a new monarch is yet to ascend the throne.
According to information gathered Adediji, use to live in the northern part of the country, but was brought to Ogbomoso for rehabilitation.
He destroyed some doors in the palace before he was overpowered and bundled out of the palace by able men.
Sources told our correspondent that Ajanlekoko had made a similar attempt to break into the palace before the Thursday incident but he was prevented.
The Palace Secretary, Mr Toyin Ajamu, confirmed the intrusion to the PUNCH correspondent on the telephone.
He said, “No crown was stolen contrary to claims in some quarters. He broke into the palace and injured Chief Aremole who wanted to drive him away.
“He knocked off two teeth from the chief but he was eventually overpowered and was handled to his family.
“He is not mentally stable as a result of hard drugs. I heard he takes Colorado and other hard drugs but our concern is why coming to the palace.
“He was handed over to his relatives and we have reported the incident to the police.”
Asked if Ajanlekoko is from a royal family, Ajamu said he is not a prince.
He said, “He is not from any of the royal families. He had made such an attempt once and was overpowered and when they took him to Bowen Teaching Hospital because he was injured, they discovered that he is a patient there ( psychiatric department).”
In a statement earlier sent, the palace secretary urged residents to ignore the rumour on social media that the man stole crowns in the palace.
The statement read, “Our attention has just been drawn to news circulating on the social media about a man who is suspected to behave under the influence of Hard Drugs by destroying properties worth millions of naira at Ogbomoso Palace.
“The message is sent to debunk the rumours on the Media that the man came to steal crowns at the palace.
“To put the record straight, there was no crown at the palace as the seat of Soun of Ogbomosho Land is presently vacant with no crown and nothing whatsoever is being stolen except that he destroyed main Entrance Aluminum Sliding doors and Exit door leading to Soun Administrative office from the Palace.
“He also injured one of the Palace Chief: Aremole of Ogbomoso land.
“Members of the public are hereby advised to ignore the rumours peddling around that he was at the palace to steal crowns or any property and those circulating such news should desist from doing so.”
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