Akin Akinbobola, an aide to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo
State, may be in serious trouble after he reportedly assaulted one of his
female workers, Funmilayo Alao-Kwabe in his office in Akure, the state capital.
Mr. Akinbobola, who is the chairman of the Ondo State
Football Agency (ODSFA), allegedly gave Ms. Funmilayo a brutal beating after
the two had a row over salary increment at the agency. The alleged victim heads
a maintenance department at the agency.
An eyewitness told a SaharaReporters correspondent that the
ODSFA chair beat his subordinate so severely that he inflicted a serious neck
injury on her.
Another source disclosed that the fight originated from the
chairman’s sudden decision to increase junior employees’ salaries, adding that
he then approved a N2000 increase for Ms. Funmilayo, increasing her salary to
N42,000. The source, a staff of the agency, revealed that Ms. Funmilayo
considered her pay increase too paltry. “She was infuriated and walked up to
the agency chairman to demand an explanation. He got angry and began to beat
her brutally,” the source said.
Another source at the agency said the workers felt that Ms.
Funmilayo was poorly treated. “Our Chairman [Akinbobola] increased the salaries
of the junior casual workers, who were mostly in maintenance department, to
N40,000 while that of their head, Mrs. Funmilayo, was increased to N42,000,
just N2000 difference. This is what caused the trouble,” he said.
Contacted by a correspondent of SaharaReporters, the alleged
assault victim narrated her version of events. She said she was angry about her
small increment. After the chairman refused to take her telephone call, she
said she sent him a text message asking for an explanation. “He called me after
reading my text message and asked for the meaning of the content in the message
I sent to him and I told him the meaning. I never knew he had an agenda in
mind, he invited me to come over to his office and I went there.
“I got to his office and he started embarrassing me,
[asking] why did I send such a message to him. During that process a lady came
inside the office and I ordered her out because I was still discussing with
him. But the next thing was he slapped me and beat me up. He pulled out some of
my hair and nearly snapped off my head and threatened to kill me. During the
fracas, he broke my neck and ran away after I collapsed on the floor of his
office. I can’t turn my neck [any more].”
Some staffers at the agency alleged that the chairman used
to date the alleged victim, adding that he tried to humiliate her because she
broke up with him and had spurned all efforts to restart their relationship.
Contacted by a reporter, Mr. Akinbobola denied assaulting
Ms. Funmilayo, insisting that she hurt herself while struggling with him. He
refused to answer any questions about his alleged romantic relationship with
the woman. “It’s a personal issue,” he said, adding, “Please let us end the
discussion.”
The aggrieved woman’s lawyer has petitioned the Inspector
General of Police over the case.
