Arson Attack Follows Dispute over Female Genital Mutilation in Obada, Ogun State

 

NewsLife has learned of an alleged attack involving a father and his son in Ogun State, with investigations into the incident still ongoing.

Sources informed NewsLife that a house linked to the incident was razed in an alleged arson attack by yet-to-be-identified persons.

The development came to the attention of NewsLife during inquiries into the incident.

During the course of the investigation, the Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) spoke with NewsLife.

Mr. Oladele Abidemi, Chairman of the Ijeja Oju-Irin Community Development Association, Obada, in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, provided details of the incident involving Mr. Omotosho Abiodun Ajibola and some members of his extended family.

“On January 20, 2023, the father of Mr. Omotosho Abiodun Ajibola arrived with a traditional priest known as Baba Ifa. They confronted Mr. Abiodun over his refusal to allow his daughter to undergo Female Genital Mutilation, a traditional practice they were demanding.

“During this confrontation, Mr. Abiodun Omotosho was assaulted, resulting in visible bruises and physical injuries, which I personally observed. The incident caused panic and concern among members of the community due to the aggressive and threatening behaviour displayed at the time.

“Following this initial incident, tensions and threats continued between Mr. Abiodun and certain members of his family. Subsequently, on August 15, 2025, at approximately 5:30 p.m., individuals identified as members of the same family allegedly set the house on fire while searching for Mr. Ajibola and his family. Their actions were reportedly connected to accusations that he had prevented their family ritual practices.

“Abidemi alleged that the father, who had long promoted the practice, insisted that the tradition must not die. He claimed that the failure to carry out the procedure had brought misfortunes upon the family and warned that further consequences could follow if it was not performed. This, he said, may have contributed to anger and resentment among some members of the extended family.

“He further alleged that the father considered his son’s refusal to release his granddaughter for the continuation of the tradition as an affront and a challenge to his authority within the family.

“It was also reported that the elderly man threatened that his son must either comply or face severe consequences.”

“The act of setting the house on fire caused serious damage to property and created significant danger for residents within the community,” Abidemi said.

“These incidents generated fear and insecurity in the community, as the actions demonstrated hostility and a willingness to resort to violence. The matter goes beyond a family disagreement and constitutes a serious threat to the safety of Mr. Ajibola and his family,” he added.

Abidemi also noted that, to his knowledge, there had been no adequate intervention from local authorities despite the seriousness of the allegations.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from law enforcement authorities, and efforts to obtain comments from other members of the family were unsuccessful.