Supreme Court Sacks First Class Monarch, Eleruwa of Eruwa

Ololade Adeyanju/

A five-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Muhammad Dattijo today sacked the Eleruwa of Eruwa, in Oyo State, Oba Samuel Adebayo-Adegbola.

He was installed as the traditional ruler of Eruwa kingdom in 1998, but the Laribikusi ruling house of Eruwa had instituted the suit to challenge him.

In 2011, Justice Ladipo Abimbola of an Ibadan high court ordered his dethronment, on the grounds that the process of his ascendancy to the Eruwa throne was null and void.

The court had held that Adegbola was not a member of the ruling house whose turn was it to produce the successor to Bolanle Olaniyan, the previous Eleruwa, who died in 1994.

Dissatisfied with the judgement, Adebayo-Adegbola filed an appeal before the Ibadan division of the appeal court, but the case was dismissed by Justice Monica Dongban-Mensan.

He subsequently filed an appeal before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court panel unanimously held that the appeal lacked merit and substance.

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who read the lead judgment, said the authorities cited by the plaintiffs/appellants in their appeal had no bearing on their case.

“The appeal has no merit and it is hereby dismissed,” she said.

The appellants in the appeal include Adebayo-Adegbola, Eleruwa; Samuel Salako Adewusi, Odofin Eruwa, who is said to be deceased; Femi Atanda, Jagun of Eruwa; I.O. Olabode, Olukuton of Eruwa; Idowu Okeowo, Asipa of Eruwa; E. Ojebisi, Baale of Agbe Eruwa; and Kasali Sangotikun.

The respondents to the appeal were James Olatunde Idowu (for himself and on behalf of Laribikusi ruling house excepting Lasubu family or section of Laribikusi ruling house/quarters); Rasheed Oyedepo Ajao; Oyo State governor; the Oyo State Attorney General; and the Ibarapa east local government area.

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