₦airaland Forum

From SEGUN OLATUNJI, Abeokuta

A 33-year-old physically-chal­lenged mother of four, Tope Oguntoye has alleged that a tradi­tional ruler, Olofin of Ilishan, Oba Michael Sonuga impregnated her.
Tope in an interview with Sunday Sun in her Ilishan home claimed that Oba Sonuga was responsible for her three-month old pregnancy.

The mother of four, who suffers a speech defect due to her physical challenge, claimed that the monarch usually enticed her with money while the affairs with him lasted.

Tope alleged that the monarch had sex with her on two different occasions before she got pregnant.

She said: “I do go to his palace regularly. He would give me N200, N500 or N1,000. I always informed my mum that I was going to the palace. I’m three months pregnant for Kabiyesi. Each time I went to see him, his wife, Olori would have gone to work.”
Tope also alleged that the mon­arch recently gave her the sum of N2,000 to pay for an abortion of the pregnancy.

According to her, when she informed Oba Sonuga of the preg­nancy, the monarch begged her to keep the matter secret in order not to disgrace him.
“He gave me money to go and abort it. He gave me N2,000 to abort it. I have spent it. He gave me the money sometime ago,” she said.

But the septuagenarian monarch, who spoke with Sunday Sun correspondent on the phone, vehemently denied impregnating the mother of four.

Oba Sonuga claimed that the alleged rumour about the affair between him and the physically challenged woman was the handiwork of his opponents and detractors in his domain bent on “defaming” him.

The monarch, who admitted to have always assisted the woman financially, added that Tope was more or less like his daughter.
Oba Sonuga claimed that Tope’s father and himself were childhood playmates.

He said, “They are rumour mongers; they are not after my progress. They wanted me to be dethroned. They want me to install them in positions they are not qualified to be. They are rumour mongers.

“To God Almighty who made me, do you know me, have you seen me, do you know the type of person I am? This lady is like a daughter to me. Myself and her father were playmates when we were growing up. We are from the same maternal and paternal side.

“I’m just trying to help her and they thought they could use her against me. They just want to bring my reputation into disrepute. I swear to God Almighty there has never been anything like that.”

Below are the details of Sunday Sun correspondent’s interviews with Tope, her mother, Oba Sonuga and one of the chiefs of the town, Alhaji Ade Gbadamosi, the Balogun of Ilishan:

TOPE’S ACCOUNT

How did you get to know the Kabiyesi?
I do go to his palace regularly

How much does he normally give you?
He would give me N200, N500 or N1,000.

That means you go there regularly?
Yes, I always informed my mum that I was going to the palace.

Are you truly pregnant? How old is the pregnancy?
I’m three months pregnant for Kabiyesi.

All the time you went to the palace, did you not come across the Kabiyesi’s wife?
Each time I went to see him, his wife, the Olori, would have gone to work.

We heard you went to report to the police. Why did you do that?
I didn’t go to the police myself. Balogun invited the police to come and take me away.

When you told Kabiyesi about the pregnancy, what did he say?
He gave me money to go and abort it.

How much did he give you?
He gave me N2,000 to abort it.

Where is the money he gave you or have you gone for the abortion?
No, I have spent it.

When did he give you the money?
He gave me the money sometime ago.

Is it up to two weeks?
It is more than that.

But you have a husband?
Yes.

Where is he?
He lives around Jide’s house.

What’s the name of your husband?
Mufutau

Has your husband not been sleeping with you?
I’ve been living in my father’s house and since I had my last child, we have not been having sex.

So, it’s only Kabiyesi you’ve been having sex with?
Yes.

How many times have you had sex with Kabiyesi?
To say the truth, Kabiyesi and I had sex twice.

Which hospital were you taken to yesterday to abort the pregnancy?
My mum took me somewhere.

Why did you want to abort the pregnancy? Did Kabiyesi say he’s not responsible?
It’s a pregnancy of shame.

Is it a shame for you, or the Kabiyesi?
It would be a shame for me.

That you are now a wife of the Kabiyesi?
It’s because of his wife.

Are you afraid of his wife?
Yes.

Are you not lying against the Kabiyesi?
No, I’m not lying against him.

Do you know the place where your mum took you for abortion yesterday?
Yes.

Can you still take us there?
Yes.

When you told Kabiyesi about the pregnancy, what was his reaction aside from giving you N2,000?
He begged me not to make it known to anybody in the town in order not to disgrace him.

Is your husband now aware of your situation?
No, he is yet to know.

TOPE’S MOTHER SPEAKS:
I warned her against going to the monarch’s palace

Your daughter said you took her there yesterday?
Yes, but they must have closed now. They don’t live here.

She said you took her there.
Yes, when she said she was ashamed.

Tope, have those wives (oloris) of Kabiyesi been fighting you?
(Mum interrupts) No, but she’s only afraid of the wives.

How old are you now?
(Mum interrupts) She was born in 1987. So, she’s 33.

Now, mama, you said she brought all this upon herself? I want to ask, are you not aware she had been collecting money from Kabiyesi?
She would not inform me whenever she was going there. She would only come back and tell me Kabiyesi gave her some money. I’ve always warned her to stop going there to avoid consequences. But she never took my advice seriously.

What kind of consequences?
Pointing to Tope’s tummy) Is this not the result? It was about last month (January) that I saw she was changing in physique and colour. I asked what had happened to her and she said nothing. I told her siblings about what I have noticed in her and when they asked her, she denied completely. I then told one of my friends who said she had a potion that could detect pregnancy. She ran to that my friend’s place and told her that Kabiyesi had already given her N2,000 to pay for abortion.

That means she had collected the money for abortion already?
Yes.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OBA SONUGA

Sir, my name is Segun Olatunji from The Sun Newspafrom per ­
Sun you said?
Yes, sir.

We understand there is a controversy in your town, Ilishan, and we want to know the truth, sir.
Nothing has happened here, it’s just rumour mongering.

Sir, it’s been the talk of the town that you impregnated a physically challenged woman.
They are against my progress. They want me to be dethroned. They wanted me to install them in positions they were not qualified for. They are just carrying rumours about. To God Almighty who made me, do you know me, have you seen me, do you know the type of person I am? This lady is like a daughter to me. Her father and myself were playmates when we were growing up.

I’m just trying to help her and they thought they could use her against me. They just want to bring my reputation into disrepute. I swear to God Almighty there has never been anything like that.

But Kabiyesi, the lady herself and her mother told us that was what happened between you and her.
No, no, never. Do you understand me? They are just pressurizing her to talk and lie. It’s not true.

But the lady said you gave her N2,000 to pay for an abortion and you also offered her mother N10,000 probably to shut her up.
That is not true. That is not true. The matter is not like that. Is that understood?
Yes, sir.
They are only trying to put A and B together to frame me to create the necessary condition. I’m not in a position to answer questions, is that understood?
Yes, sir.
There is no problem here; they are trying to put my name in disrepute and contempt.

INTERVIEW WITH ALHAJI ADE GBADAMOSI, THE BALOGUN OF ILISHAN TOWN

What’s your name, sir?
Gbadamosi Ade
We understand you are the Balogun of the town
Yes, who told you that?

The people of the town said you are the one behind what has been happening in this town?
Don’t mind them, I’m not behind anything. The lady impregnated was the one who ran to me saying they wanted to forcibly abort her pregnancy. She said that Kabiyesi had once given her N2,000. But I said I don’t want to have anything to do with any matter involving the Kabiyesi. So, I told her she couldn’t take refuge in my own house. I told her to go back to other people in her own area. But when she refused to go, I invited the police. I told the Divisional Police Officer to send his men to come over and take the lady back to her mother’s house. But rather than taking her back to her mother, the policemen took her to the station and asked her to write a statement. The police also invited her mother and confirmed to me that they had given her mother a standard instruction that they must not abort her pregnancy. And since then, I decided not to have anything to do with the matter; but now people have been saying I asked the police to arrest her mother. I did not do that.

I only asked the police to take the lady. The girl described where they took her for abortion and asked her to come back by 10am the next day to take some injection before taking any food. That’s all I know about it.

Is it true you and Kabiyesi have not been in good terms?
No, no. I don’t have any problem with Kabiyesi but whether he has anything against me, I don’t know.

Are you sure?
He’s my brother and we are from the same royal home. So, what has he said I did? Did I send the girl to him or was I the one that arranged what has happened? What they keep saying is that it’s a set-up. What is a set-up? Did the girl say I took her to his palace? Did I ask her mother to collect N10,000 from him? So, what is the set-up about it? Let’s face the facts; I’m not in any way involved in this. I also offered help to the lady because of her physical condition.

Why did she not say I was the one who slept with her? I always see her by the road and I’ll give her some money. I don’t want to mention names but you can go and find out from the people of the town.

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