Court restrains Aregbesola, others from removing Oba Falabi as Akire of Ikire

AN Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Friday, restrained Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the Commissioner for Local Government, Commissioner for Justice or any other agent of government from removing the Akire of Ikireland, Oba Olatunde Falabi, pending the determination of the substantive suit before it. Counsel to the monarch, Mr N.O. O Oke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had in a suit filed on April 16, 2014 applied for an interlocutory injunction restraining the three defendants from deposing, dethroning or disturbing the claimant (Falabi) against the performance of his statutory duties as the Akire of Ikireland. Delivering his judgment, Justice R. A Shiyanbola granted the application of Oke, which pleaded with the court to restrain the state government and its agents from deposing the traditional ruler. The judge said: “I have carefully examined the submissions of the learned counsels in this suit and agree with the submission that granting the application is within the discretion of the court. But, such application should be granted decisively and judiciously.” According to Justice Shiyanbola, “the plaintiff alleged that the first respondent in this case, Mr Rauf Aregbesola invited him to a meeting in which the second respondent, Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Afolabi and third respondent, Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affair, Mr Kolapo Alimi, were present.” While handing down the judgment, Justice Shiyanbola granted the reliefs sought by Falabi on the interlocutory injunction, saying, “I hereby grant the application of the plaintiff (Akire) pending the determination of the substantive suit.”