Appeal Court Orders Retrial Of Ondo Monarch

Court of Appeal sitting in Akure has ordered the retrial of the suit challenging the installation of Oba Oluwole Julius Olufaderin as the Jegun of Ile-Oluji, in the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government area of Ondo State.

The appellate court, presided over by Justices Olabisi Omoleye, Oziakpono Oho, and T. Y. Bashir, in a unanimous decision, held that the suit, which an Akure High Court dismissed, should be reinstalled in the court’s registry and assigned to another judge for a fresh trial.

In the judgment read on behalf of other judges by Justice Bashir, the trial court was wrong to have declined jurisdiction in the trial of the first-class monarch and dismissed the suit for filing the case out of time.

Oba Olufaderin was installed as the traditional ruler of Ile-Oluji in 2018 following the demise of the former occupier of the stool. However, the Jimoko Ruling Family whose turn it was to produce the monarch of Ile-Oluji in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government dragged the monarch to court over his qualification as a prince from the male lineage of the Ruling House.

In the suit filed by the counsel to the Ruling House, Otunba Olayinka Bolanle disowned the monarch as a member of the family whose turn is to produce the stool of Jegun of Ile-Oluji.

However, the trial court dismissed the suit for filing the case out of time and that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit. Displeased with the outcome, the Jimoko Ruling House asked the court to set aside the decision of the lower court and order for retrial.

Pointedly, the appellants prayed for “an order setting aside the decision of the lower Court contained in the ruling of Hon. Justice S. A. Bola dated 15 May 2018 and substituted therefore with an order dismissing the preliminary objections of each set of the defender/respondents.”

Also, they asked for “an order remitting this case back to the Ondo State High Court with a direction that the suit be heard before any other Judge of the Court, other than Hon. Justice S. A. Bola.”

The major grouse of the appellants including Princes Akinladenu Aladegbamigbe, and Akinladenu Adekunle was the Morgan Commission of Enquiry that explained and prescribed that it is only aspirants from the male line that is allowed and nobody from the female line is allowed to be monarch of the town

Justice Bashir agreed with the position of the Ruling House and returned the case file to the state High Court for retrial.