Oba of Babanla withdraws criminal complaint amid mediation, insecurity concerns

By Oluwatoyin Hawal Momolosho –

The palace of Babanla, a historic community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, has been the focus of legal and security tensions in recent weeks. On September 15, 2025, His Royal Highness Oba Aliyu Alabi Yusuf (Arojojoye II) formally withdrew a criminal complaint filed against four members of his community at the Upper Area Court in Ganmo.

The notice of discontinuance, signed by his lawyers S.O. Dada Esq. and Kamil O. Salaudeen Esq. of Lambo Akanbi & Co., was filed under Section 360 of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2018. The section allows a complainant to abandon criminal proceedings following reconciliation or community mediation.

Earlier this month, the monarch initiated case number UACG/DC/305/2025 against four defendants: Salaudeen Abdul Rafiu, Odofin Saheed, Abdulsalam Abdullateef Olatunji, and Pastor Fatai Folaranmi Ajide. The charges stemmed from allegations linking the Oba and his royal family to banditry and violent attacks—claims the palace considered defamatory and divisive.

In the withdrawal notice, the monarch’s counsel said the decision was influenced by interventions from community leaders in Babanla and officials from Ifelodun Local Government and Kwara State. The move aims to defuse tensions and prioritize dialogue in a period marked by growing insecurity.

The backdrop to the dispute includes a series of violent attacks in Babanla. In August, gunmen invaded the community, killing residents and attacking a local market. Days later, assailants targeted a police post, prompting many families to flee. Authorities confirmed casualties and deployed joint security forces to restore calm.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq later visited the community alongside senior security officials, pledging improved security presence and humanitarian support for affected residents. His visit was seen as a response to both the violence and the unrest surrounding the palace.

For the palace, the case withdrawal signals a desire to embrace reconciliation and reposition the monarch as a stabilizing figure. For the defendants, it removes the immediate threat of criminal prosecution but leaves lingering public scrutiny.