A 73-year-old man, Chief Abraham Areola, seen in a viral video being slapped and humiliated by a man alleged to be the Olorile of Orile Ifo in Ogun State, Oba Semiu Ogunjobi, has appealed to the government to give him protection from the monarch.
The victim told the Punch the monarch vowed to kill him, whereas he did not tell him his exact offence.
The viral video showed one of the monarch’s aides snatching the elderly man’s cap as he knelt on the dusty road, while another struck him from behind, while he pleaded with them to tell him his offence.
Dazed the elderly chief lamented in Yoruba, “I’m not feeling well.”
The monarch retorted, “Die if you want to die. We will bury you, and nobody will know.”
“I didn’t offend you, Kabiesi. I’ve done nothing wrong. I am not interested in any chieftaincy title. I will come to see you, Kabiesi,” the humiliated man pleaded, as the monarch, whose face was not visible in the video, continued to hurl insults and curses at him while he (the victim) was forced to lie flat on his chest.
“The entire Ifo land belongs to me. I will send you to prison. I own the entire Nigeria Police Force. I will send you to prison,” the monarch boasted.
The monarch denied being the person seen humiliating the elderly man in the video during a separate interview with the Punch.
However, sources within the community, the victim, and Emmanuel Ojo, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, confirmed the monarch’s identity in a post.
Ojo condemned the disturbing act.
He said, “I came across a disturbing video online showing Chief Areola Abraham being subjected to public humiliation and physical assault. In the video, he was seen kneeling on the road while being slapped and verbally abused by someone identified as Oba Semiu Olawale Ogunjobi, the Olorile of Orile Ifo. This incident reportedly stemmed from a kingship supremacy dispute.
“The king allegedly took offence at Chief Areoola Abraham Love’s perceived support for a coronet Oba named Wasiu (as mentioned in the video). In response, he confronted the elderly man in his area and treated him in a manner unbefitting of a traditional ruler.
“Such an act is highly condemnable and completely unjustifiable, regardless of the underlying issues. There are more dignified and lawful ways to address disputes, especially among traditional leaders. Resorting to force, assault, and public humiliation is unacceptable and must be strongly denounced.”
Chief Areola told the Punch he still had not been told his actual offence.
“I was the one being harassed in the video. The Oba of Olorile of Orile-Ifo is the one who assaulted me. It happened on January 21, 2025, around 11:00 AM. I wasn’t feeling well, so I went out to get some food when he saw me. He called me over, and that’s when the beating started.
“I didn’t offend him in any way. If you watch the video, you’ll hear me begging him to tell me what my offence was. I told him that if I had wronged him, he should have called for me. I still don’t know what my offence is.”
Chief Areola said he had not taken any step since the incident because the monarch told him he had the police in his pocket.
“I couldn’t do anything since he claimed to own the Nigeria Police Force and dared me to go to any authority I know. What could I do?
“I want Nigerians to come to my aid. He has vowed to kill me.”
When the monarch was called, he denied being the one in the video. He also expressed frustration over the numerous petitions he had received from all sides regarding the incident.
“I’m not familiar with the video you’re referring to. I’ve been receiving numerous calls for the past three weeks regarding it.
“They’ve also submitted petitions to various authorities, including Alagbon, the Zone 2 Command, and the state governor. A newspaper has published a statement confirming that I am not the person in the video,” the monarch insisted.
