By Olawale Abdul-Fatah
Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in a bizarre display of power allegedly disrupted venue of the final burial rites of the Late Iyaloja of Daleko Market, Alh Rafatu Ajani, popularly known as Mama Alalikinba.
Shade as she is fondly called, is also the Iyaloja General of Lagos, on Sunday harassed two journalists, who were the staff of a Lagos based Yoruba newspaper, Asejere Newspaper, and confiscated the publication brought to the venue.
It was gathered that the Tinubu-Ojo allegedly came late to the venue of the event held for the late trader who passed on at over 97 years at the Bishop Aggey Memorial playing ground in Mushin at about 6 pm when she should have been available considering her status among the traders.
It was learned that the deceased trader was contemporaries to her late Grand-Mother who was the immediate Iyaloja General of Lagos, Alh. Abibatu Mogaji.
On her arrival at the burial held according to Islamic rites with security personnels, it was gathered that the Iyaloja General pounced on the two journalists, Oluwatoyin Manuel and Jamiu Musa, for displaying the organisation’s current publication that featured the deceased’s profile and achievements.
To allegedly disrupt the circulation of the publication, Tinubu-Ojo confiscated several copies of the newspaper, which a staff of the organization claimed cost hundreds of thousand naira.
The Guild learned that after the two journalists, she extended her wrath on other guests at the event, forcing several others to run for cover, not wanting to be caught in the web of the crisis.
Eyewitness narrated that members of the deceased family were also not spared from her wrath which brought a momentary stop to the event attended by several traders in the state.
Several minutes after the halt in programme, some traders that had a bit courage pleaded to her repeatedly before decorum was restored. But left the venue with the confiscated publications
One of the Iyalojas that spoke to us in confidence confirmed the incident said the incident actually occurred, she said: “Why Iya (Iyaloja) behaved like that we don’t know, we love the newspaper, it is reported in our language, and they promote the iyalojas and babalojas, the issue she has with the journalists, we don’t know.”
The Editor of the publication confirmed to the Guild that act occurred, saying, It happened and that is all I can say on the issue for now”.
Efforts to get the Iyaloja General for her reactions to the allegations raised against her proved abortive. Several calls, Shorts Messages (SMS) and Whatsapp messages were sent to her lines, none was responded to by the leader of traders in Lagos.
