LAGOS COURT STOPS CORONATION OF OBA

LAGOS COURT STOPS CORONATION OF OBA

A High Court, sitting in Lagos, on Tuesday June 13, 2017, stopped the coronation of Oba Hafeez Olakunle Badiru, as the Oba of Langbasa. The court also stopped him from parading himself or holding himself out as the Oba of Langbasa. In the suit filed in court by Prince Saheed Adeniyi Sanni and other members of Langbasa community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, the claimants are asking the court to nullify the appointment of Oba Hafeez Badiru as the Oba of Langbasa, on the ground that he was not the authentic choice of the Kajerejaiye Chieftaincy Family of Langbasa, which is the family next in line to appoint the Oba of Langbasa.

Named as defendants in the suit are the governor of Lagos State, the Attoreny-General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Chieftanicy Committee of Eti-Osa LGA, Eti-Osa Local Government Council and Oba Hafeez Olakunle Badiru. In an 86 paragraphs affidavit deposed to by Prince Saheed Sanni, it was stated that by the Amended Chieftaincy Declaration of Langbasa, it is the turn of the Kajerojaiye Chieftaincy family to present the Oba and the said family has already picked Prince Saheed Sanni as their candidate, he has been presented to the Kingmakers who have in turn chosen him and presented him to the Eti-Osa LGA. It was stated further that all the traditional rites have been performed on Prine Saheed Sanni, by the entire Langbasa community, who were only awaiting confirmation from the Lagos State Exective Council. It was suddenly on April 25, 2017, that they noticed teh presence of armed policemen in the community, a canopy and an array of government vehicles, from which Hafeez Badiru suddenly emerged and his hands were lifted by some commissioners of Lagos State, who there and then purported to proclaim him as Oba of Langbasa to the shock and consternation of the entire community.

When the case came up on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, before Hon Justice Onigbanjo, eminent lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, led Mr. David Fadile and Tosin Adesioye, for the claimants. In arguing the application for interim injunction, Mr Adegboruwa told the court that it would amount to a taboo for the court to allow to persons to be crowned as Oba in any community, as the choice of an Oba is exclusively for the family of Kajerojaiye and not the Lagos State Government.

In the maiun suit, the claimants are seeking the following reliefs:

(A)             A DECLARATION that based on the decision and choice of the Kajerojaiye Elejigbo chieftaincy family of  Langbasa and the Kingmakers to the Langbasa Chieftaincy Declaration, the 1st Claimant is the person entitled to the Obaship of Lagbansa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(B)              A DECLARATION that by virtue of the Langbasa Chieftaincy Declaration regulating the Elejigbo chieftaincy, the 1st Claimant is the person entitled to the Obaship of Lagbansa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(C)              A DECLARATION that under the custom and tradition of Langbasa town, the 1^st Claimant is the person lawfully and legally selected, recommended and nominated for appointment and installation as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, to the exclusion of the 6^th defendant.

(D)             A DECLARATION that the defendants cannot bye-pass, ignore or reject the decision and choice of the Kajerojaiye Elejigbo chieftaincy family of Langbasa and the Kingmakers to the Langbasa Chieftaincy Declaration to appoint the 6^th Defendant as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(E)             A DECLARATION that the 6^thDefendant is not entitled to be selected, presented, appointed and approved as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(F)              A DECLARATION that the appointment and installation of the 6^thDefendant as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa is illegal, ultra vires, invalid, null and void.

(G)             A DECLARATION that the 1^stClaimant is the substantive Oba-elect of Langbasa having been legally selected, recommended and approved as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(H)             AN ORDER setting aside, cancelling, invalidating and nullifying the appointment and installation of the 6^thDefendant as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(I)                AN ORDER directing the 6^thdefendant herein to forthwith surrender, vacate and relinquish the title and office of Elejigbo of Langbasa.

(J)                AN ORDER directing the 1^st-5^thDefendants to forthwith consider and approve the recommendation, nomination and appointment of the 1^st Claimant as Oba-elect of Langbasa Chieftaincy stool, in line with the decision of the Kajerojaiye Chieftaincy family of Langbasa and the Kingmakers to the Langbasa Registered Declaration.

(K)              A PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1^st-5^th Defendants jointly and severally by themselves, agents, servants and/or privies from treating, dealing with and/or recognizing the 6^thDefendant as the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

(L)              A PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 6^th Defendant from parading, holding, presenting himself out or in any other manner discharging or carrying out the functions of the office of the Oba Elejigbo of Langbasa in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.”

The court thereafter adjourned the case to June 20, 2017, for hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction