By Ghazali Ibrahim
A group of concerned youths in Sasa community, Ibadan, Oyo State, has petitioned the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Dr.) Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, over the purported appointment of a new “Sarkin Sasa” in Sasa Community.
The youths alleged that the appointment is an attempt to entrench Hausa-Fulani leadership in the community, which they claim will perpetuate the Hausa-Fulani hegemony in Sasa at the expense of the ancestral owners of the land.
According to the petition, the issue dates back to the 1970s when the Federal Government acquired land for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), leading to the displacement of 33 Ibadan villages. The villages were resettled in the “Structural Adjustment Settlement Area” (SASA) near Ojoo.
The youths claimed that Alhaji Haruna Mai-Yatsin Katsina, who passed away on March 1, 2025, was installed as the Sarkin Hausawa of Sasa Community in 1979/1980 but referred to himself as the Sarkin Sasa (King of Sasa) and exercised control over the Sasa market.
The petitioners argued that the Chiefs Law of Oyo State does not recognize the title of “Sarkin Sasa” and that the appointment of a new Sarkin Sasa is an illegality.
They urged the Olubadan to intervene and prevent the perpetuation of the Hausa-Fulani hegemony in Sasa.
The youths also expressed concern over the condolence messages sent by Governor Seyi Makinde and Senators Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli and Teslim Kolawole Folarin, which they claimed referred to the deceased as a “monarch” or “traditional ruler.”
They questioned the territorial jurisdiction of the deceased and argued that the messages were misleading.
