By  Abdulwahab  Abdulah

JUSTICE S. A. Olugbemi of an Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode has removed the name of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona from a suit filed by the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode against  Otunba Subomi Balogun, Otunba Olu Adebanjo and Alhaji A.O. Sote.

The court’s  order was sequel to an application filed by the plaintiffs’ counsel on February 14 praying the court to expunge the name of the Awujale from the suit asking for a perpetual injunction restraining Otunba Subomi Balogun “from parading himself or holding  himself out as Olori Ebi Funsengbunwa ruling house of Ijebu land.”

The suit was filed by Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, a former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, ICAN alongside Prince Rasaki Akeju, Otunba Oladokun Ajidagba and Prince Adeleke Adeyemi for themselves and on behalf of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

Joined as respondents in the suit were Otunba Subomi Balogun, Otunba Olu Adebanjo and Alhaji A. O. Sote.

When the matter came up last week, the defendants were in court, however, the Judge heard the counsel representing the Claimants and ruled on their application.

Prince Adesegun Adebayo appeared for the applicants/claimants, while Mr. Kolade Otukoya, who announced his appearance for the second respondent (Adebanjo), told the court that they were not aware that the matter was coming up that day.

Otukoya said he was “surprised” to hear the case being called because he was in court for a different matter.

Justice Olugbemi struck out Oba Adetona’s name from the suit and gave the applicants a week to amend their processes.

The Fusengbuwa Ruling House is challenging Balogun’s  alleged“attempt to impose himself as their Olori Ebi (family head).”

In their suit, they were praying the court to declare that- “it is only Fusenbguwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode of which Late Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi, of No1, Adebisi Adeyemi close, Oliworo Quarters, Ijebu-Ode was the Olori Ebi or head of ruling house, till he died on February 19th, 2013, that is the competent and lawful authority, for the appointment of a new Olori Ebi or head of Ruling House of Funsengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, after the death of Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi.”

The applicants also prayed for a declaration that the meeting, “convened by both 1st and 2nd Defendants, by their letter of 21st March, 2013, and held in the Ijebu-Ode residence of the 1st Defendant on Saturday, 13th April, and in which the 3rd Defendant was the Secretary, lacked the competence, authority or capacity to appoint any person including the 1st Defendant as the new Olori Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode in succession to the late Olori Ebi, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi.”