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Femi Idowu
The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu yesterday broke his silence over the valuables he lost during invasion of his place during the #ENDSARS protests against police brutality.
The monarch said he lost 2 million dollars, N17million cash to hoodlums, who invaded his palace during the October 20-23rd 2020 violent protests that led to wanton destruction of lives and property.
The Story gathered that it took the intervention of a team of armed soldiers to rescue the monarch from angry protesting youth who reportedly invaded the palace and attempted to burn it down.
During the nationwide protest that nearly grounded the country, a video that went viral on the social media, captured the moment and revealed some hoodlums broke into Oba of Lagos palace, carting away dollars inside a coffin, had gone viral. In the video, the hoodlums were seen running with a coffin full of dollars stolen from the King’s palace
In the video, some men were also seen running with the coffins, and some also running with the dollar in their hands.
But confirming the looting yesterday at the commissioning ceremony of Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Akiolu said though he had forgiven all those responsible for desecration of his palace but hinted that valuable items were too numerous to recall where carted away in the unlawful invasion. He said about 2 million US dollars and N17 million cash was also carted away by the hoodlums.
Akiolu said: “The incident that happened here on October 20-23rd is very saddening. We thank God that Lagos will continue to wax stronger and stronger by the grace of Allah. Lagos will never lag behind, all Lagosians think of what you can contribute to make Lagos greater, not what will pay you selfishly.
Speaking further on the destruction in Lagos, Akiolu appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to support Lagos in the rebuild mission, saying Lagos, despite catering for the needs of millions of Nigerians, lost so much in the ENDSARS protests.
The respected monarch added:” I appealed to our God-chosen Head of State to please, in the name of God Almighty. the destruction we sufferred in Lagos was so enormous more than any other part of the country. About 130 buses, liabilities which the government is using to raise assets were burnt. The house of the parents of our governor was burnt, TVC, High Court, Port Authority were burnt. Particularly, those who did the Iga Iduganran (my Palace), I can now say it publicly that they stole away from my palace two million dollars in cash and N17 million Naira. I’m now saying it publicly. I’m not a wealthy man but I’m a contented person and in sha Allah, I will continue to be rich.
“I have prayed to God that Father forgive them because they don’t what they did. If they had known what that Iduganran means, they wouldn’t have what they did.”
Earlier, Akiolu had appealed to the leaders to show compassion, adding that no matter how rich one is, nobody will take the wealth away from the earth when death comes. He said he was much concern on the progress of the state.
He said: “If you want to confirm the vanity of the world, hold N10,000 Naira, once you sleep off, the money will fall on the ground. Even the bible said that only the foollish amass wealth.”
