By Blessing Ngozi
LAGOS—The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Bolaji Robert, and others have been dragged to court for allegedly disobeying a court order.
Also named in the contempt proceedings is the Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government of the state, Dr. Valentine Buraimoh.
They are accused of violating a court order issued on January 15, 2025, regarding the vacant stool of the Abule Ado kingdom.
Justice Mathias Dawodu of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, had ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of an interlocutory injunction in a suit by Rafiu Teslimi and nine others from the Sanusi Olawunmi family of Abule Ado in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
The claimants, in suit ID/2044GCMW/2024, had asked the court to restrain the defendants from approving or appointing anyone to the vacant stool of Abule Ado until the motion for interlocutory injunction is heard.
Their counsel, Mr. L. Yusuf, argued that granting the injunction was in the interest of justice, warning that disobedience could render the court’s eventual decision meaningless.
However, while awaiting the next hearing date, the defendants allegedly proceeded with the process of installing a new king against the court’s order.
Consequently, the claimants’ counsel filed Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order) on April 8, 2025.
Other claimants include Taiwo Teslimi, Mr. Dauda Lasisi, Jelili Lasisi, Wasiu Bisiriyu, Mr. Nurain Bisiriyu, Lateefat Agbaje, Mr. Akeem Agbaje, Jamiu Balogun, and Mrs. Mulikat Balogun, all representing the Sanusi Olawunmi family of Abule Ado.
Additional respondents named are the Chieftaincy Committee of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Prince Eniola Ado, Babatunde Bakare, Sulaiman Aro, and Alhaji Nurudeen Abu.
The claimants maintain that their family, as the founders and original settlers of Abule Ado, are entitled by custom to produce the next Oba.
They contend there was no registered declaration governing the Abule Ado chieftaincy, thus giving the court jurisdiction to determine customary law on the matter.
The claimants also submitted memoranda in May 2024 and September 2024 to press their historical claim to the stool, which was acknowledged by some defendants while others declined.
The Form 48 warns that unless Mr. Pedro, Oba Oyekan, the Chieftaincy Committee Chairman, Sulaiman Aro, Kayode Bolaji-Robert, and Dr. Buraimoh comply with the court order.
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