Oyo monarch dies in crash days after arraignment

A traditional ruler in Oyo State on Wednesday died in a road accident after his car collided with a truck.

The monarch–the Amunijio of Ijio in the Iwajowa Local Government Area of the state, Oba Okunade Adegoke– was said to be driving himself from Iwere-Ile to his kingdom around 10pm when he ran into the truck.

A source said the monarch was the only occupant of the car, adding that he died at the scene of the accident.

He said, “From what we could piece together at the scene of the accident, it seemed the kabiyesi was trying to avoid a vehicle when he ran into the truck. Help did not come immediately and by the time he was found, he had died from his injuries.”

His death came a week after the king was arraigned before the Okeho Magistrate’s Court for allegations bordering on threat to live, destruction of family business and using thugs to forcibly take possession of a stretch of land that belonged to another family.

He was also accused of destroying a farmland on which tree crops worth N10m were planted.

The prosecutor had also said Oba Adegoke and others, who were at large, on March 29, 2016, sent threat messages to a lawyer, Shittu Azeez, in the Okeho area of the state.

At the time, the counsel for the late monarch, Olufemi Akintomiwa, who was represented by Olakunle Afolabi, prayed the court to give the legal team more time to study the case.