Gov Ambode suspends Shangisha Baale for plotting own kidnap

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, on Thursday ordered that the Baale of Shangisha in Magodo area, Chief Yusuf Ogundare, be immediately suspended for faking his kidnap.

The Baale was allegedly kidnapped on July 5, 2017, by a three-man gang along the Center for Management Development (CMD) Road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

The monarch was said to have been released by his abductors on Wednesday without payment of any ransom.

Report on the circumstances leading to his alleged abduction claimed that the traditional ruler was in the company of his brother, Mohammed Adams, when they were lured out of the palace by unknown persons who claimed to be potential land buyers.

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According to the report, the alleged land buyers had claimed that they wanted to buy some plots of land in Shangisha and had asked the Baale to follow their vehicle to inspect the said land which he did.

It was further reported that on getting to Domino’s Pizza Junction, along the CMD Road, Shangisha, the acclaimed land buyers diverted the vehicle and threw off the brother from the car before taking Ogundare away to an unknown destination.

The brother had then reported to a nearby police station. The police subsequently began investigation into the kidnap of the Lagos chief.

However, following investigation into the matter, it was finally uncovered that the Baale and his brother conspired to fake his abduction.

Based on this finding, Ambode in a memo with reference number OLGAS .83 / S . /Vol. 1 dated July 13, 2017 addressed to the Sole Administrator of Ikosi – Isheri LCDA and signed by the State’ s Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs , Hon Teslim Folami, authorized the suspension of the monarch.

The memo read in part, “I am directed to convey the approval of His Excellency , Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the suspension of Chief Yusuf Ogundare , Baale of Shangisha with immediate effect in accordance with Section 38 subsection 1 of the Obas and Chiefs Laws of Lagos State which states that “the governor may suspend or depose any Oba or chief whether appointed or after commencement of this law, if he is satisfied that such suspension of disposition is required according to customary law or is necessary in the interest of peace and good government.

“You are to communicate the decision to the chieftain to stop parading himself as Baale of Shangisha with immediate effect.”

Ogundare was paraded alongside his brother Adams, by Lagos State Police Command on Thursday.

On how their plot was uncovered, the State’ s Commissioner of Police , Mr Fatai Owoseni said that luck ran out on Ogundare when he was apprehended by men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS ) in Alausa area of the State on July 11 after he was dropped in a suspicious manner by a car which sped off immediately.

The state Police boss said, “On July 11 at about 10 pm, a team of RRS patrol officers working around Alausa had sighted a vehicle drop a male adult in a suspicious manner close by Shoprite along the Secretariat road. The speed with which that car drove off attracted them to that spot and fortunately before they got to the spot, the car had taken off and a quick enquiry revealed that it was the Baale that was allegedly kidnapped.

“Immediately after while Ogundare was being debriefed, he sold a dummy that the kidnappers dropped him off but unknowingly to him , it had been found out that on the 5th of July , the day he was allegedly kidnapped in Lagos, investigation had revealed that he was driving around in Ibadan around Ashi ; he went to Ilorin , he went to Iwo , he was just on a frolic.

“And unknowingly to him as well that because of information that had gotten to security services that his younger brother and his wife were being questioned and were actually in custody because of some discrepancies that were noticed in the interaction they had with security agencies , and in furtherance of the synergy existing between the Police and DSS, we jointly compared notes and our findings were such that the act of the chief was despicable and amounted to crying wolf where there is none.”

 

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