By Albert Akpor
FOR the past 10 years, it has been one continuous battle of survival for Otunba Gbolahan Timson, the Jagunmolu of  Shomolu/Bariga in Lagos State.  The chequered story of his life within this period consisted principally of several visits to the police station, the high, state and magistrate courts in defence of the mandate to lead his people and retain the royal stool he presently occupies.
The genesis of his ordeal he  traced to a  fellow Lagos monarch (names withheld) who said that he,  (Oba Timson) has no business being on the royal stool.  However,    the highly intelligent but easy going traditional ruler who enjoys popularity among his people seemed not to be perturbed by the antics of his detractors but has vowed to fight on until justice is not only done, but seen to be done.

This doggedness was soon to pay off as a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided by Justice K.O Alogba had on May 21, 2010 issued an order of mandamus compelling the state governor, Babatunde  Raji Fashola to accord the embattled traditional ruler all the necessary reverence attached to a royal stool and hand over to him the staff of office as the Oba Jagunmolu of Shomolu/Bariga without further delay.

Though that order is yet to be complied with, Oba Timson is very optimistic that Governor Fashola who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) would not undermine court order knowing the full implication. “ We have served him the court order and I am optimistic that he would not undermine it because as a senior member of the Bar, he would not want to ridicule the judiciary,” he said.

Earlier in the month of April 2010,  a Lagos High Court judge,  Justice Okon Efreti Abang also tongue- lashed a senior police officer who doubles as  head of the state’s environmental enforcement task force and representative of the Lagos State government for unlawfully arresting, detaining and arraigning Oba Timson contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.

The fire brand Judge further awarded a whopping N3 million to the  Oba as damages for gross violation of  the traditional ruler’s fundamental human rights.

However, in spite of these legal victories, all seemed not to be well with the traditional ruler.  Investigations revealed that he and his household are presently living under a cloud of fear and uncertainty consequent upon what he called “renewed police harassment”.

His counsel Mr. Destiny Obun Takon said though his client’s legal victories succeeded in sweeping his detractors off the ground, but that instead of complying with the court order they have resorted to using the police to launch a fresh onslaught on him.

According to him: “Just after the Federal High Court gave the order of mandamus compelling the state government to hand over the staff of office to my client and accord him all the necessary recognition as the Jagunmolu of Shomolu/ Bariga, a Divisional Police Officer (names withheld) in the area who claimed that the his posting to the area was influenced by the unnamed Lagos monarch swooped on his loyalists who were celebrating the court verdict, arrested, detained and labeled them armed robbers.

Just as we were battling to secure their bail, a fresh police invitation signed by the same senior police officer who earlier arrested, detained and arraigned the Oba which incidentally led to Justice Abang awarding N3 million as damages for gross violation of my client’s rights was served on him again.

What they are trying to do is to provoke my client and his supporters to react against them and therefore, give the state government the impression that my client is irresponsible and a trouble maker.  To this end, I have petitioned the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Ibrahim Waziri, the chairman of Police Service Commission, Mr. Parry Osayande and of course, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ogbonna  Onovo to call this DPO Bariga and the other officer working with the Lagos State task force to order because these men are being used against my client.  In other words, they are threatening his life”.