— Deji of Akureland fingers as sponsor

—- lts cheap blackmail- Monarch

Thugs went on rampage in Akure, the Ondo state capital yesterday destroying several buildings at the Federal Government Housing Scheme.

The housing scheme was located at Alagbaka Government Reservation Area GRA, in the state capital.

They fired several gunshot to scare away workers at the site, thereby injuring several of them who scampered for safety.

That several buildings that were at lintel levels were pulled down, plumbing pipes were mutilated, over five Storex tanks were broken by the thugs.

An Eyewitness account said that one of the workers was beaten to a state of coma by the thugs.

Speaking with newsmen, the Managing Director, the company handling the project, Medaville Building & Construction Co. Ltd, Otunba Ademola Akin-Benson alleged that the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo sponsored the attack.

Akin-Benson alleged that the Monarch has been making unlawful moves to grab the land from him and halt the Federal Government project.

According to him, “Oba Aladetoyinbo has been using thugs to disrupt work on site and sometimes drop charms to scare him and the workers.

He lamented that over N50m had been lost to the perennial attacks by thugs adding that thugs have persistently placed fetish objects on the project site and chased workers away.

Akin-Benson said that the spot where the Deji lays claim to as community land was a distance away and not the spot where work is going on in line with extant court judgment.

“Several time Deji has come here to beat people; two weeks ago he sent his boys to kidnap some of our workers here. We reported it to the police and appropriate authorities.

” They were here on the 18th of this month with two bikes, beating and harassing the workers; destroying many building materials as well.”

He explained that the land belongs to the Federal Government but was ceded to Medaville Building & Construction Co. Ltd to develop.

The Chairman noted that the matter had been reported to police severally, adding that “we are in court. My lawyers have filed Section 49 against him which he always run away.

” He has been served but trying to dodge it; it is always like this. We will not take any law into our hands. We will continue to pursue the case to the highest level.”

Akin-Benson, who disclosed that two different litigations have been instituted to check the monarch’s excesses, said he would not allow his to continue to disrupt the Federal Government project.

“We are doing this in order to ease housing problems in Ondo State. What they did this morning was a disturbance of the peace of the community. The Federal Government is aware of the frequent harassment and destruction.

Contacted, the Deji of Akureland,Oba Aladelusi speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeyeye described the allegation as unfounded.

Oba Aladelusi said ” It was Otunba Benson that went to hire thugs and his refusal to pay them their fee led to crisis and destruction witnessed at the site.

“He is only trying to point accusing fingers rather blame himself for the woes he brought upon himself.

“Like you may be aware, there is a disputed five hectares of land which belongs to Akure, the court had asked him not to work on the disputed area but only on the approved 15 hectares. So we expect him to abide by the decision of the Court over the matter.

“So, the palace have no hand in the in-fight that ensued between the thugs he engaged on the land.

“Akure will never do anything that will disrupt it’s peace. We want development and expansion, we will not do anything to the contrary.

The monarch added that ” The man in question should check himself and desist from this cheap blackmail. We urge him to see Akure as a peaceful land that is very accommodative.