A Lagos High Court located at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has issued an injunction preventing the Lagos State Government from proceeding with the installation of the new Olu of Iwaya.
Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi has also ordered Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko to refrain from presenting himself as the Olu of Iwaya Kingdom or performing duties related to that position while the case with suit No LD/7218GCMW/2020 remains unresolved.
This legal action was initiated by Ramon Rufai Ogo-Oluwa Aromire, who claims to be the Olu of Iwaya (elect) from the Oloto Royal Family Ruling House of Iwaya Kingdom. Other plaintiffs include Adelani Onitolo, Oluwole Onitolo, and Rufai Kolawole Babatunde.
The defendants listed in the lawsuit are Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos State Governor), the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Lagos State, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, the chairpersons of Lagos Mainland and Yaba Local Council Development Area, and Sulaimon Ogun-Oloko.
The court, following a motion exparte, granted permission to Ramon Rufai Ogo-Oluwa Aromire to seek a judicial review aiming to annul the alleged installation and recognition of Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko as the Olu of Iwaya Kingdom.
Sulaiman Ogun-Oloko, who has assumed the role of Olu of Iwaya, was scheduled to receive the staff of office on Saturday.
This legal dispute over the Obaship has been under consideration by the court for two years, culminating in Justice Ogunjobi’s recent decision to halt Ogun-Oloko from taking up the office.
Justice Ogunjobi invalidated the supposed installation and recognition of Sulaimon Ogun-Oloko by the Lagos state government, whether on May 25, 2023, or May 27, 2023. Failure to adhere to this order could result in contempt of court.
The court also issued a mandamus compelling the governor and other defendants to ensure that the Iwaya stool, central to the case, reverts to the state it was in before May 25, 2023, while the lawsuit remains unresolved.
The judge has scheduled September 19, 2023, for the hearing of the case.
