The Ogun State Police Command has issued fresh summons to nine prominent Ijebu-Ode kingmakers over allegations of financial inducement and bribery in the ongoing process to select a new Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebu land.
The kingmakers are expected to appear at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, on Monday and Tuesday next week, a senior police source confirmed on Friday, April 18, 2026.
According to the source, four of the kingmakers are to report on Monday while the remaining five will appear on Tuesday.
The invitation is in connection with the same allegations of financial inducement that prompted an earlier summons in February.
Chief Abimbola Okenla, the Kakanfo of Ijebu land and one of the summoned kingmakers, confirmed receiving the invitation.
He expressed frustration over the repeated police invitations, describing them as a major distraction.“None of us is happy with these frequent invitations over unfounded allegations. The people of Ijebu land are not happy either,” Okenla said.
“We are pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow us to complete the process of selecting the next Awujale without further delay.”
Similarly, Alhaji Abdulateef Owoyemi, head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), said he had heard of the invitation but could not independently verify it.
He appealed to the state government to expedite the emergence of a new monarch.
“What the Ijebu people want is a new Awujale who will build on the enduring legacy of our late revered monarch, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona,” Owoyemi stated.
A copy of the police invitation letter, dated April 17, 2026, and addressed to one of the kingmakers, Chief Adebisi Adaran (Gbeden), was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID, Gbenga Adeoye.
The letter described the summons as part of an ongoing investigation and noted that the invitees are free to come with their lawyers.
The latest summons comes after a similar invitation in February, which was later withdrawn following high-level interventions. The selection process for the new Awujale has been repeatedly stalled.
In January 2026, the Ogun State Government suspended the exercise due to a wave of petitions from stakeholders and security agencies.
A similar suspension was announced in December 2025 over procedural issues.The Awujale stool has been vacant since July 2025 following the passing of Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona at the age of 91 after a remarkable 65-year reign.
Prior to the suspension, 95 aspirants, 94 princes and one princess from the Fusengbuwa Ruling House had been nominated.
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