. . . CHRSJ seeks justice for parties

A Crown Prince of Abioye Ruling House, Awo in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Prince Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has dragged the State Government, Egbedore Local Government, Awo, and Awo Kingmakers to the State High Court of Justice sitting in Ede Judicial Division, to seek redress on the purported appointment and installation of one Taiwo Adegboye as new Alawo of Awo.

The case with a suit N0: HED/48/2021 - Prince Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman Vs. Prince Taiwo Abdulrasasaq Adegboye & 6 Ors, on December 31st, 2021 was brought before the State High Court.

The case was brought against the defendants on three charges of flagrant disobedience to the orders of the State High Court, forgery of selection documents and usage of obsolete, repealed and outdated 957 Registered Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration, instead of subsisting 1979 Registered Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration for their purported appointment and installation of Taiwo Adegboye as new Alawo.

While approaching the court to seek redress over injustice meted out to him (appellant) during the Obaship process, Prince Sulaiman listed no fewer than seven persons as witnesses including; State and Local Government officials and Secretary Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, Prince Hamzat Abidoye Gboyelade.

The appellant, through his lead Counsel, Barrister Yinka Muyiwa, prayed the court to declare the purported selection, appointment and subsequent installation of Taiwo Adegboye as new Alawo, as devoid of due process, illegal, unlawful, null and void and as well declare him (appellant) as the only qualified candidate to be appointed and installed from Abioye Ruling House for the stool of Alawo of Awo, after the reign and death of the immediate past Alawo, Oba Musa Olatunbosun Adebayo from Akinsilo Ruling House, Awo.

The Writ of Summons of the suit stated: “The stool of Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy is presently being occupied illegally by Taiwo Adegboye since 13th September, 2021, in defiance to subsisting court Orders of the Osun State High Court in Suit NO:HED/26/2020 made by Justice M.O. Agboola on the 27th day of August, 2020 and HOS/84/2020 where the court presided over by Hon. Justice A.O. Ayoola, gave a Preservatives Order asking the parties to maintain Status Quo on the 16th of October, 2020 in respect of stool.

“That there is an existing and/or pending Appeal with Appeal N0: CA/AK/58/2021 on HOS/84/2020 at the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, filed by Taiwo Adegboye, challenging the ruling of the Osun State High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice A. O. Ayoola, made on the 13th day of January, 2021, dismissing a notice of preliminary objection filed by Adegboye on the jurisdiction of the court to give accelerated hearing to the substantive matter to determine the authentic members of the Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, Osun State.

“That Taiwo Adegboye’s action in approaching the Court of Appeal, Akure Division is nothing but a trick and/ or tactics to delay the matter and prevent the lower Court from hearing the substantive matter and determine the authentic members of the Abioye Ruling House/Compound Awo, Osun State and to evade justice on the forgery of important documents used to hoodwink all to the throne of Alawo stool, after the reign and death of Oba Musa Olatunbosun Adebayo, the Akinsilo II.”

The Writ of Summons further stated that the existing 1979 Registered Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration was used to install the immediate past Alawo, Oba Musa Olatunbosun Adebayo from Akinsilo Ruling House, Awo in 1979 and there was no any other Chieftaincy Declaration, adding: “that the use of any other Chieftaincy Declaration contrary to the existing 1979 Registered Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration, is null and void.”

It insisted that: “The illegal and purported appointment and installation of Taiwo Adegboye in defiance to Court Order, was done in tune with the outdated and repealed 1957 Registered Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration as contained in the Letter with Reference N0: CD.6/2/Vol. III/1189, dated 12th of August, 2020 and signed by one Bashir Oladipupo for the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

“Taiwo Adegboye and officials of Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs are planning to bring the expunged Akindolu Ruling House, Iragberi from the outdated and repealed 1957 Alawo of Awo Chieftaincy Declaration, back to Alawo Chieftaincy stool through the back door, if the purported appointment and installation of Taiwo Adegboye as new Alawo is allowed to stay.”

The Writ of Summons x-rayed the particulars of forged documents as different thumbprint impressions and signatures of Mogaji/Head, Alhaji (Prince) Abdulkareem Adegboye and Secretary, Alhaji (Prince) Abioye Hamzat Gboyelade/Prince (Alhaji) Hamzat Abidoye/Hamsat Abidoye of Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, respectively and Taiwo Abdulrasasaq Adegboye’s Expression of Interest Form N0:000000114.

It added that the selection Minutes of meeting credited to Abioye Ruling House, Awo, dated 24st of August, 2020, was also forged in favour of Taiwo Adegboye with another thumb print impression and signature of Mogaji/Head and Secretary of Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, Osun State as also contained in the attachments of Covering Letter and Exhibit B03 tendered in Suit N0: HED/26/ 2020, with reference N0:ELG.396/T/28B, dated 24th August, 2020 and signed by one Mrs. Olabimtan F. Abiola, the Council Manager, for Chairman, Egbedore Local Government, Awo and Bond to Prosecute Appeal N0:CA/AK/58/2021 on Suit N0: HOS/ 84/2020.

A human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), has sought from the court, justice for the parties in the suit, urging the court to ensure that the matter before it was treated on its merit in order to make the people repose more confidence in the nation’s judicial system.

Speaking on Tuesday through its Assistant General Secretary (AGS), Pastor Michael Agaasi, CHRSJ noted that the judiciary was last hope of common man on the street, urging the court to adjudicate on any matter before it without fear or favour.

According to CHRSJ, “It is our belief that the court would ensure timeous resolution of this case without allowing unnecessary adjournments from the parties in the suit because of its importance to the good people of Awoland.

“We do not want the good people of Awoland to be like children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years where they were groping for direction because of leadership vacuum.”

The rights group advised the authority of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to set up a monitoring unit that would monitor various cases in the trial and appellate courts in order to ensure that the personnel in the temple of justice acted in loco-god on any matter before them.

CHRSJ said it has thrown its weight behind the recent position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammed Tanko, against the recent illegal invasion of residence of Justice Mary Odili in Abuja, for no just reason than to humiliate the respected jurist, describing the incident as an affront to judicial arm of government and the constitution of the country.