ABEOKUTA – The people of Pahayi town, in Yewa South Local Government Area have accused the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland Oba Kehinde Olugbenle of working against Sen. Olamilekan Yayi’s developmental projects, particularly in Pahayi Town and its communities.
This was disclosed on Thursday during a protest held at UAMC Primary school, Eleja, Pahayi, Ilaro with inhabitants of the community clutching leaves in their hands to expressed displeasure over the alleged sealed off constructed market inside the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and suspension of their Baale and community leader, Rev. Emmanuel Ekunola, for the act of insubordination.
Addressing the newsmen at the protest, Pastor Dele Togun, reading from a jointly signed press statement, said the community had suffered stagnated development for so many years but things are now changing for good with the various developmental projects such as police station, health centre, markets, roads, among others that were facilitated to the community by Sen. Solomon Adeola representing Ogun West, who is an indigene of the community.
Togun submitted that, Oba Olugbenle seems not to be comfortable with the developmental strides in Pahayi, as evidenced by some of his recent actions.
Togun claimed that the market project was done with the knowledge and approval of the polytechnic management and that the Olu of Ilaro has no authority to suspend the Baale over the matter.
He also alleged that the Olu Ilaro has also banned the annual Pahayi Day celebration, which is a cultural heritage event that has been held for many years.
Togun argued that Olugbenle is trying to erase their identity and suppress their culture as the Pahayi people.
He also alleged that the market was recently closed by security agents on the orders of the Olu of Ilaro, further exacerbating the tensions between the two towns.
He said,” The protagonist in this matter, surprisingly and unfortunately so, is our revered Kabiyesi, the Olu and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, whose disposition and activities concerning matters relating to Pahayi Town have been negative and suppressing”.
“The upsurge in the development of Pahayi has been brought about by the intervention of one of our prominent sons, Senator (Dr) Aremo Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI), who facilitated many of these initiatives either as constituency projects or personal donations to the growth of his town. One of such contributions is the market he built inside the premises of the Federal Polytechnic, which the school management, in its wisdom, handed over to the Baale of Pahayi to manage, as the “host” community to the school.
“We would have imagined that Kabiyesi should be interested in the growth and development of all Towns under his prescribed authority, but the reverse seems to be the case concerning Pahayi, and we find this absurd, uncharitable and unacceptable”.
“Oba Olugbenle has been uncomfortable with every development in Pahayi and we have enough documentary and circumstantial evidence to support this.
“He has complained about the sitting of the police station and hospital in Pahayi. As a follow-up to the queries, there appears to be an effort to ensure that those utilities do not function. We really find these to be strange, when indeed many such similar efforts have been lavishly sited in Ilaro by the same facilitator.
“Oba Kehinde Olugbenle pronounced a ban on ‘Pahayi Day’ – a celebration of the culture and heritage of Pahayi people – which has been celebrated annually for many years before Oba Olugbenle ascended the throne of his forebears. How do you ban an autonomous people from celebrating their own heritage? He questioned”.
“Most bothersome of the disturbing acts of Oba Olugbenle is the recent purported suspension of the Baale of Pahayi over the market constructed inside the Federal Polytechnic by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola. In a letter dated 7th August, 2025 and addressed to the Baale of Pahayi, Reverend Emmanuel Olabisi Ekunola and signed by the secretary of the Olu-in-Council, Chief Dayo Dawotola, the Baale was purportedly suspended for “Acts of insubordination, encroaching and trespassing on the land of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro on which the market was built by the senator and for allocating the markets “without Oba Olugbenle’s approval.
“What is more, just yesterday, some security agents, accompanied by unknown persons, stormed the market, drove people away and sealed it off, on the orders of the paramount ruler,” he alleged.
Corroborating, the Akinrogun of Pahayi land, Chief Micheal Ogundimu, called on the government to intervene in the matter, before it escalates to a crisis of what he described as the occurrence between Ife and Modakeke days.
He also declared that the Pahayi people are ready to do anything to reclaim their rights.
When contacted, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, who spoke through the Otun Baaroyin of Ilaro and Yewa, Alhaji Hammed Abu Satar, disclosed that Olu Ilaro was not aware of any such.
He revealed that the monarch, in his wisdom, has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow to speak with all parties involved.
Speaking on behalf of the polytechnic, the Deputy Rector of Administration, Tpl Lukman Lasisi, submitted that the market was facilitated and built by Sen. Yayi for the benefit of the students and staff of the polytechnic, contrary to what was stated by the Pahayi people that the market was for the Polytechnic and the communities.
Lasisi also disclosed that though the school management was still expecting Sen. Yayi to signed the MoU on the market with the school management.
