Baaleship Tussle: Kirikiri Elders Forum, Apapa Youths prefer Babalola

Following the ongoing baaleship tussle in Kirikiri- Apapa community, residents of the town made up of grassroots politicians, traders, tenants, landlords, artisans, and professionals including the Kirikiri Community Development Areas (CDAs) have thrown their weights behind Chief Babalola Babatunde Shabi as the Baale of Kirikiri Town and Apapa.

Against the backdrop of what they described as the injustice meted to Chief Babalola Shabi by pronouncing another person as Baale of the town, residents of Kirikiri town while speaking to the newsmen expressed their grievances over the development.

For instance, a community leader who preferred anonymity expressed his grievances and pleaded with the Lagos State Government to constitute another unbiased committee to look into the Kirikiri Baaleship stool.

He said all the submissions of community leaders were set aside by the committee that handled the hearing.

“I have been in Kirikiri town since 1971 and I know much about the town. I do not doubt in my mind that God will correct the wrongs”.

**Some Youth leaders during the presentation of the Certificate….recently**

The community leader pleaded for the cooperation and supports of the residents of Kirikiri town that Chief Babalola Babatunde Shabi is restored in his determined bid to continue his development strides for the ancient town.

Also speaking a youth leader who does not want his name to be mentioned described Baale Shabi as a beacon of hope for Kirikiri residents, describing him as a successful entrepreneur who has contributed a lot to the development of the community, including peace and progress enjoying in the town.

“Apart from his developmental strides for the community, all stakeholders were duly consulted, before the Oba of Imoore installed him.

“In fact, he lives among us, his people of the town over the years, and he is an Awori man, who is qualified and preferred us because he is not new our problems”, a youth leader explained.

Meanwhile, HRM Oba Taofeek Adegboyega Akeju, Awojo the third, the Alahun of Imoore, and Apapa in Lagos has said he installed Chief Babatunde Babalola Shabi as the Baale of Kirikiri in good faith and based on his track record of contributing to the development of the town and its environs.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court judgment of December 12 1975 affirmed Imoore and Apapa as the owner of Kirikiri town and that as the King of Imoore and Apapa land had the authority to install the Baale of Kirikiri land.