Why Owo Memorial Cenotaph Was Demolished — Aiyedatiwa

The Ondo State governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has explained that the recent demolition of the Memorial Cenotaph built in Owo town in memory of the victims of June 5, 2022 terror attack on a Catholic Church in the town, was carried out due to land ownership issues and deep-rooted cultural concerns.

Aiyedatiwa, who said the demolition was not an act of disrespect toward the victims of the terror attack, noted that the demolition of the Memorial Park was a necessary step taken to restore the dignity of Owo culture and the original purpose of the site.

In a statement issued by the chief press secretary to the governor, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, Aiyedatiwa explained that the demolition was done after due consultations with the people of Owo, as represented by the Olowo-in-Council.

The governor also noted that the land on which the cenotaph was built legally belongs to AgroMore Limited, a company owned by the current Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, before his ascension.

According to him, the land was initially acquired by the State government in 2010 but was re-allocated to its original owner in 2021 under the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu-led administration.

Aiyedatiwa further explained that at the time of constructing the cenotaph, there was no record of official revocation of the land from AgroMore, and the government later realised the procedural errors made in taking possession of the land for the construction of the cenotaph.

He said, “Aside from the official complaints from the Palace of the Olowo, there have also been protests by various segments of the people of Owo against the location of the Memorial Park, as it was said to be against the culture of the land to site a cenotaph at the heart of the town and in front of the palace.

“Although no bodies were buried at the site, it was constructed in the replica image of a cemetery, complete with insignia of the dead and inscriptions of the names of all the victims. This, the Olowo-in-Council and the people of Owo frowned upon and protested against as a taboo.”

Aiyedatiwa, however, described the statement by the Bishop of Ondo Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Jude Arogundade, over the demolition of the Memorial Park, as negating the cordial relationship with open channels of communication that he has established with religious leaders in the state.

His words: “The letter said to have been written to Mr. Governor, seeking an audience for dialogue on this issue, was submitted by the Church to the Governor’s Office on Monday, June 23, 2025, while the public statement was issued on Wednesday, June 25, 2025—barely 48 hours later.

“The statement not only falsely claimed that 72 hours had passed without a response to the letter, but also gave the impression of issuing an ultimatum to the government to respond. We find it concerning that, despite not exploring any other channels of reaching Mr. Governor aside from the letter submitted 48 hours prior, Bishop Arogundade chose to address the public while painting the state government as unresponsive, in a tone that could incite the public against the government over the issue.

“The statement by Bishop Arogundade confirmed that those protests took place in Owo but failed to mention that the Catholic Diocese never sought an engagement with the state government while trying to douse tension over the protests.

“There had been ongoing discussions between the Palace of the Olowo and the state government on the possibility of relocating the Memorial Park before the unfortunate demise of the former Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu. Some former government officials had taken advantage of the then absence of H.E. Akeredolu (due to ill health) to ignore those discussions and rush to complete the cenotaph, which was never commissioned till today.

“The engagement between the Olowo-in-Council and the government continued after Governor Aiyedatiwa assumed office. The Governor then directed officials of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Lands and Housing, and the Owo Local Government to revisit the issue to relocate the Memorial Park.

“After an agreement was reached with the Palace of the Olowo on the relocation of the cenotaph, the state government took the decision to reverse the faulty revocation of the land, returning it to its rightful owner: the Olowo of Owo. It was, therefore, the Olowo of Owo and AgroMore Limited—the rightful owners of the land—that carried out the demolition of the cenotaph, with the approval of the state government.

“Governor Aiyedatiwa has commissioned a team of government officials to liaise with relevant stakeholders to make arrangements to build a new cenotaph at a location acceptable to the people of Owo,” the statement said.