25/06/2025
During the June 12 struggle, the air around the nation was tense. In the town of Akure, one young boy came out in solidarity with the people against injustice. On this fateful day at Oja Oba, the uprising took a violent turn. A cooking pot was thrown at a group of fiery-looking mobile police officers. It descended on one of them and sat on his head like a fitted cap!
In a fit of anger, his colleague fired a gunshot towards the direction the pot came from. A teargas canister flew in another direction. It hit that young boy and he fell.
The boy's cousin rushed him to their shop, which was one of the two big grocery stores owned by two prominent Ibadan businesswomen at Oja Oba, Akure in the 90s. After carrying him in, she switched on the fan, then dipped tissue paper in kerosene and gently rubbed it around his nose and eyes. Slowly, he stirred… and came back to life.
The boy can never forget that day. He learned early that silence in the face of injustice is dangerous. He understood that true leadership is earned through sacrifice, not slogans. Since then, he promised himself that he would do more than just stand with protesters but also do all he can to ensure that people get equity and fairness.
The young boy that fell over 30 years ago during the June 12 struggle for democracy is now the Baàmẹ̀kọ́ of Ibadanland, Oloye Saheed Oladele.
