THE INFORMANT247
14-7-2017
A former commissioner of Education, Alhaji Saka Onimago and The current Permanent Secretary, Kwara state ministry of commerce and co-operative have been reported to be in a fierce counteract over the ownership of the family name “Onimago”.
An investigation conducted by a correspondent of THE INFORMANT247 into the matter revealed that Mr. SAKA Onimago and Mr. Audu bayo are from a faction of the family called ILE IJESA which comprises of Elere, Alalubosa, Panu, Baba dare and others, while the other faction ILE OBADUDU, also comprises of Eleja, Idasa, Tesi and Yia, and headed by one Alhaji Alabi Onimago a.k.a. Confido.
Research shows that the Ile Obadudu were the righteous owner of the family name as it was emanated from ‘Mago’ which was the name of the horse owned by an ancestor of the Obadudu faction, Alfa Sami. The Ijesa faction then, were only traveller who migrated from the southern part of the country to settled down in Ilorin and were warmthly welcomed by the Obadudu’s faction who were so kind to offer them their name.
The Obadudu’s faction claim to ownership of the family name started when the then Balogun Alanamu, Baba Mamudu, around 1940 gave them a white horse, which is popularly called Mago as a gift to settle the rivalry between the two faction.
However, another trouble was resuscitated when the SAKA onimago Faction requested the other faction, headed by Mr. Alabi Onimago, to stop using the family name. It was revealed that Mr. SAKA Onimago and others, has on two consecutive times, employed some painters to paint off the inscription “Ile Onimago” off the wall of the other faction’s compound.
This prompted the Obadudu’s faction to drag Mr. SAKA Onimago, Mr. Bayo Audu Onimago and some other notable personality of the Ijesa’s faction to court.
A member of the Obadudu’s faction who spoke on the condition of anonymity disclosed to THE INFORMANT247 that they are the righteous owner of the name but Mr. SAKA Onimago and other notable personalities in his camp, wants to use the influence of their power to disclaim them ownership. “We won’t take it, the case is already in court. And we hope by the time the court gives it verdict, we will be vindicated!” He concluded.
All efforts to reach Mr. SAKA Onimago and Mr. Audu Bayo Onimago prooves abortive as there numbers weren’t reachable till press time.