As the quest by various interested parties to become the Chief Imam of Eruwa, a town in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo hots up, Commissioner of Police in the State has been urged to give full effect to the court judgment delivered by Honourable Justice A.L Akintola on the 7th day of December, 2020.
This was contained in a letter written to the Commissioner by the counsel to one of the contenders, Alhaji Mudashiru Adedeji, Sikiru Adeoye, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Monday.
The letter reads in parts: “It is imperative to bring the attention of your esteemed office to the judgment of His Lordship, Honourable Justice A. L. Akintola delivered on the 7th day of December 2020 in the above-referenced suit (Suit Number HER/1/2016), wherein the Court invalidated the wrongful election/appointment of the said Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam, and holding that, he, Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam) is not the duly and properly appointed/elected Chief Imam of Eruwa Central Mosque.
“Going by the above judgment of the Court which has not been appealed remains valid, subsisting, enforceable. However, it suffices to state that the said Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam cannot in any way or manner represent himself as the appointed Chief Imam of Eruwa Central Mosque, his appointment having been so nullified by the Court, neither is he permitted by law to seek to perform any one of the functions/roles/responsibilities of the office of a Chief Imam of Eruwa Central Mosque, that is, leading Jumaa’t Service/prayer.
“On account of the foregoing, it goes without saying that, as officers of the law, your highly esteemed office (s) cannot be seen to lend any support to such act of disobedience to a court’s judgment in any manner whatsoever, and under any guise otherwise it would be seen as an aberration and a ploy to bring the sanctity of court into the ridicule and render a valid judgment of the Court ineffectual and subverting the course of justice.
“It would interest you to note, Sir, that in furtherance of the letter dated 19th February 2025, vis-a-vis the attempt by the said Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam to assume the roles and functions of the Chief Imam of Eruwa Central Mosque in flagrant disregard of the judgment of the Court, our Client the Judgment Creditor in Suit Number HER/1/2016 has initiated contempt proceedings, now pending at the High Court of Justice, Eruwa, against the trio of Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam, Alhaji Lateef Afolabi and Mr. Jimoh Bello, for their deliberate disobedience of the extant judgment of the Court by filing Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order).
“We, respectfully appeal to your good office to discountenance and jettison the said letter dated 19th February, 2025 at the instance of Alhaji Abdulkareem Abdulsalam to provide protection for violation of an extant court order, as entertaining the request would only amount to subverting and undermining the authority of the Court.”
and then