Gov suspends Baale of Shangisha for faking own kidnap

The information was disclosed during a press briefing at the Lagos House, Ikeja, today, Thursday, July 13 while Ogundare and his brother, Mohammed Adams, were being paraded.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, addressed the press briefing; alongside the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem; Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, and top officials of the Department of State Service (DSS).

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According to the reports, Ogundare had claimed that he was kidnapped along the centre for Management Development (CMD) Road in Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the State on July 5, 2017.

The embattled Baale's suspension was conveyed in a memo with reference number OLGAS.83/S./Vol.1 dated July 13, 2017, addressed to the Sole Administrator of Ikosi-Isheri LCDA.

“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,” the memo read.

QED reports that the approval came shortly after the Lagos State Police Command paraded the culprits for conspiring to fake the alleged kidnap.

On the fateful day of the alleged kidnap, Adams reported the kidnap incidence to the police.

While parading the two suspects, Owoseni revealed that the Lagos State Police Command received the report of Ogundare’s alleged kidnap on July 5 and immediately swung into action, collaborating with other security agencies especially the DSS to secure his release.

He said that luck ran out on Ogundare when he was later apprehended by men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Alausa area of the State on July 11, after being dropped off in a suspicious manner by a car that sped off immediately.

Speaking further on Ogundare's arrest, Owoseni 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.”

Owoseni added that while making the reports, Adams informed the security agencies that he had been with the Baale at CMD Hotel when they were whisked away by some people who had come in claiming that they wanted to buy land, but that he was later dropped off.

However, investigations into the case revealed that he had never been at the hotel with the Baale but had been at the hotel's restaurant and left after some minutes.

The wife of the Baale actually drove the car, a Venza, which was allegedly used to abduct the supposed victim from the hotel.

The CP added that the suspects confessed to faking the kidnap after being confronted with indisputable facts.

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Owoseni said that Adams went to the community shortly after Ogundare's alleged kidnap, and called the town crier to order the community to close shops and markets, an action reportedly aimed at inciting members of the community against the State Government.

He stated that the suspects had planned to falsely accuse the Oba of Shangisha as the brain behind the kidnapping, which they actually did, as revenge on him for being installed as the Oba instead of Ogundare, and also embarrass the State Government and its security agencies for arresting him (Ogundare) when he wrongly displayed the plate number of Oba of Shangisha on his car.

Mr Kazeem said that it was disheartening that while the state government and security agencies worked round the clock to secure the release of kidnapped students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, some persons thought it wise to raise false alarm.