Trouble, Wahala, has come knocking on the hallowed doors of Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, the Alaafin of Oyo, as Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has petitioned the State Security Service (SSS) over the alleged brutal assault and eventual death of Chief Lukmon Suleiman Ojora Arounfale, the Baba Oba of Oyotunji Village in the United States, who visited the palace of the monarch in South-West Nigeria.
Raising the issue in a petition dated September 22, 2025, and addressed to the Director-General of the SSS, Falana accused the Alaafin and his palace aides of subjecting the late Chief and members of his entourage to severe torture.
He alleged that the ordeal led to Arounfale’s death days later.
Written on behalf of Oladotun Ayodele, Adeola Ayodele, Dipole Awoyemi and Rosaline Ayoka Arounfale, Falana’s letter stated that the incident occurred on April 17, 2025, when the group visited the Alaafin’s palace in Oyo Town, Oyo State.
According to the lawyers, the visit was initially cordial until a disagreement arose over coronation practices in Oyotunji Village, a Yoruba settlement domiciled in Sheldon, South Carolina, United States.
The late Chief Arounfale reportedly explained that the Ooni of Ife had traditionally handled coronations in the community from its inception.
Falana alleged that the response enraged the Alaafin, who reportedly accused the visitors of being liars, traitors and spies sent to undermine him.
The Alaafin then ordered palace attendants to deal ruthlessly with the visitors, the petition claimed.
Supervised by the Alaafin, the visitors underwent a violent assault.
Mobile phones belonging to the victims were reportedly confiscated after it was noticed that one of them was recording the incident.
The petition alleged that Chief Arounfale, described as elderly and frail, was beaten and pushed down a staircase during the assault.
Falana said, “In a desperate bid to cover up the torture meted out to our clients, the Alafin invited the Oyo Area Commander of the Nigeria Police Force to the Palace and ordered him to arrest our clients for an undisclosed offence.
“The Area Commander arrested our clients who were drenched in their own blood and took them to his office where he made them to write statements even though they had not committed any criminal offence whatsoever.
“To our clients’ utter shock, the Area Commander ordered their detention even though they were suffering excruciating pains as a result of the gruesome assault to which they had been subjected at the Palace of the Alaafin Owoade.
“The Area Commander compelled our clients to write and sign a Letter of Apology to the Alaafin Owoade as a condition for their release on bail on the 18” day of April, 2025.
“Upon their release from the illegal police custody, our clients rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Despite the fact that they all received medical attention to ameliorate the resultant pain and trauma inflicted on them by the Alaafin and his Palace thugs, Chief Lukmon Arounfale, an elderly person, eventually gave up the ghost on the 27th day of April, 2025….
“Based on intelligence reports, the Inspector-General of Police ordered a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the untimely death of Mr. Babaoba Arounfale.
“Even though the Police had concluded the investigation, the suspects have not been arrested and prosecuted for inflicting such brutal torture on our clients, which led to the untimely death of Chief Lukmon Arounfale.
“In view of the foregoing, you will agree with us that the brutal torture meted out to the late Chief Lukmon Arounfale and our clients by Alafin Owoade and his palace thugs cannot be tolerated in a civilised society.”
He expressed his clients’ confidence that the SSS would handle the matter in its usual professional manner and urged the agency to conduct a fresh, thorough investigation with a view to prosecuting the suspects under the Criminal Code of Oyo State.
