Court Sacks Ondo Monarch

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, has ordered a traditional and community leader, Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, to stop parading himself as the monarch of the Ayetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.

There had been a leadership crisis over the rightful occupant of the traditional stool of the Ayetoro community as the claimant, Oba Micah Ajijo, filed a suit seeking the order of seeking the court order to declare him as the incumbent reigning monarch of the Ayetoro community, having been chosen and installed by the Ogeloyinbo in Council and ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Holy Apostles’ Church, Ayetoro.

He also sought an order restraining the defendant from parading and holding himself out as the spiritual head of the Holy Apostles Church Ayetoro while he (claimant) was still alive was illegal and contrary to the age-long tradition of the community.

Ajijo also sought from the court an order restraining Ojagbohunmi, or his agents acting through him from further parading or holding himself out as the Spiritual head of the church and Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro community or allow himself to be addressed as such.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Temitope Adedipe affirmed Ajijo as the traditional and spiritual head of the Church in the coastal community as ratified by the Board of Trustees of the Holy Apostle Church, Ayetoro.

The court held that the defendant (Ojagbohunmi) affirmed that the head of the prophets is saddled with the duty to select and announce to the Council of Elders the name of the person chosen as the spiritual head of the church and community as revealed in a vision or prophesy and that the Board of Trustee did not play any role in the appointment of the spiritual head of the church.

It also noted that the defendant’s claims that he was unanimously crowned, chosen, and adopted by the “Council of Elders” of the community, against the Supreme Council of Elders in October 2018 as the traditional head of the community were alien to the community.

The court ruled, “Having placed the evidence adduced by the parties on the imaginary scale. I ascribe greater weight to the case put forward by the claimant over and above that of the defendant.

“Having carefully examined and evaluated the oral and documentary evidence adduced by parties, the judgment of this court is as follows: that the claimant is the incumbent Spiritual head of the Holy Apostle Church Ayetoro and community leader (Ogeloyinbo) of Ayetoro.

“A declaration that is contrary to the practice and norms of the Holy Apostles Church and Ayetoro community for the defendant to parade and hold himself out as the Spiritual head of the Holy Apostles’ Church while the claimant as the incumbent is still alive

“The defendant is hereby restrained either by himself, agents or privies from parading and holding himself out as the Spiritual head of the Holy Apostles Church and the community leader of Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro community.

“The counter claim of the defendant is hereby dismissed.”