In flagrant disobedience to a subsisting court order that barred him from parading himself as Aree of Iree, Prince Muritala Oyelakin, stakeholders have expressed concerns that Oyelakin has been parading himself as an Oba and even installing people as chiefs.
They said Oyelakin’s acts are tantamount to contempt of court, which should be tried before the court.
Recall that Justice M. O. Awe of an Osogbo High Court, while ruling on a motion for interlocutory injunction, had ordered the state government against presenting the staff of office to Oyelakin as the Aree of Aree and also asked the Prince to desist from parading himself as king.
Awe restrained Governor Ademola Adeleke whose government appointed Oyelakin; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and kingmakers of Iree from installing Oyelakin as the Aree of Iree and/or present a staff of office to him pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
However, findings revealed that Oyelakin has been carrying himself as Aree of Iree and using the paraphernalia of office.
Oyelakin, it was learned, installed one Chief Azeez Niniola as the new Eesa of Iree land on Friday in continuous disregard of court order.
When contacted on Friday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State, Jimi Wole-Bada and his counterpart in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde did not pick phone calls and neither did they respond to messages sent to them on the development.
However, in an interview with Barr. Murtala Abdulrasheed, counsel to Prince Ponle Ademola, former traditional ruler in Iree who was sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke, he said the court order restraining the state government from recognising Oyelakin as a monarch in Iree is still valid, maintaining that his actions are nullity.
Abdulrasheed disclosed that Oyelakin has no instrument of office that would confer legitimacy on his activities, saying he ceased to operate as a traditional ruler in Iree following the High Court judgement.
The lawyer disclosed that the substantive matter is still being heard in court and that all parties are expected to wait till the court decides.
He disclosed that the substantive case would resume for hearing in Osogbo High Court tomorrow.
