Court deposes Ogbomoso monarch

By OLUSEYE OJO, Ibadan

Controversy is currently trailing a judgment delivered by an Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso, over the deposition of the occupant of the stool of Onpetu of Ijeru Kingdom, Oba Sunday Oladapo Oyediran Lagbami Osekun III, in Ogbomoso South Local Government of the State.

The Oyo State High Court, in the recent judgment, delivered in November 2021, but was obtained this week, ordered the monarch to, henceforth, stop parading himself as the paramount ruler of Ijeru Quarters, Ogbomoso.

The judgment followed a litigation instituted by Chief Popoola Olaniyi Elijah against Chief Oladapo, the Oyo State governor, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State over the chieftaincy stool of Ijeru.

The presiding judge, Justice K. A Adedokun, in the judgment mandated the governor of Oyo State and his agents from further recognising Chief Oladapo as the ruler of Ijeru Quarters. The claimant was represented by his counsel, C. I Olinya, while Mr. Femi Oladimeji held the brief for the first defendant. The second and third defendants, according to the judgment, did not make any legal representation.

The chieftaincy stool of Ijeru had been a contention between the Ijeru and Onpetu Chieftaincy families of Ogbomoso for some decades.

According to the court order, “Pursuant to the judgment of this honorable court, delivered on the 24 April, 1987 in suit number HOG/12/86, to which there is no pending appeal against, the claimant (Baale of Ijeru) is the ruler of Ijeru Quarters in Ogbomoso township, Oyo State. The second and third defendants are, hereby, directed to recognise the claimant as the ruler of Ijeru Quarters, Ogbomoso.”

The first defendant is perpetually restrained from parading himself or claiming or putting himself out as the paramount ruler of Ijeru Quarters, Ogbomoso township, Oyo State.” (Daily Sun: Text, excludes headline)