Court removes Ondo community head, orders a new selection process

A High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo state has ordered the removal of a traditional head in Ondo community, Noah Olafusi, the Oloja of Oka, and Ondo west local government area of the state.

In a suit instituted by the two ruling families of the community, Akinsinmirinwa and Olupona, against the the Executive Governor of Ondo State, his Deputy, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Osemawe of Ondo kingdom and the Olafusi, praying the court to remove the installed monarch saying he was not from the two ruling house.

They also prayed the court to recognise the Olupona ruling house as the next family to produce the monarch of the town saying the last traditional head hailed from the Adesinmirinwa ruling house.

The two family maintained that the Olafusi is not a member of the ruling house and should not be entitled to the throne urging the court to reverse his purported installation as the Oloja of Oka and urged the court to restrain Olafusi from parading himself as the Oloja of the community, within or outside Ondo community.

In his judgement, Justice Ade Adegoroye declared that the Adesinmirinwa and Olupona ruling houses are the two houses recognised by the town to produce or nominate candidate to the throne of the Oloja of Oka, noting that the throne has been on rotation between the two ruling houses.

He however set aside the purported selection, approval and installation of Olafusi  as the Oloja Of Oka, restraining him from parading himself as the Oloja of Oka henceforth.

Justice Adegoroye also ruled that the fourth defendant, the Osemawe of Ondo kingdom, Oba Dr Victor Kiladejo and the fifth defendant High Chieh Lisa Akinkunmi, who is representing the kingmakers and other kingmakers in Oka town should commence a new procedure to select and install a traditional for the community.