Court Restrains Lagos Govt From Crowning New Ayangburen Of Ikorodu

JUSTICE Olabisi Ogungbesan of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has halted the ongoing coronation ceremony to fill the vacant stool of Ayangburen of Ikorodu in Lagos State.

The court order has stalled the ceremony to crown the new Ayangburen that was fixed to hold today August 15, 2015.  Following the demise of Oba S. A.

Oyefusi on August 1, 2014, Ayangburen stool has been vacant. While ruling yesterday in a suit filed by one Odupitan Eniola, who is from the Lambo branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family of Ikorodu Kingdom, Justice Ogungbesan found merit in Eniola’s application, and therefore stopped Shotebi’s coronation as prayed.

Ogungbesan said she was satisfied from the evidence placed before the court that unquantifiable damages would be done if the coronation ceremony was allowed to go on as scheduled.

She, therefore, restrained the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, or anyone acting under his authority, from going ahead on today to crown the current Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief Kabiru Shotebi, as the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom.

The judge also restrained Shotebi from either “presenting himself for coronation” or “parading himself as the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, or actualising any recognition thereon as such, or exercising any of the Ayangburen royal functions,” pending the determination of a suit.

The presiding judge also directed that the order should be served on the respondents within five days. Eniola, through his counsel, Mr. Joseph Okobiemen, had filed an ex parte application seeking an order of the court to stop the scheduled coronation of Shotebi, who hailed from the Adegorushe branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family, as the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom.

The applicant claimed that it was the turn of the Lambo branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family, from which he came, to present the next Ayangburen, adding that he had been nominated by the family to be crowned as the new Ayangburen at meetings held on September 7 and 21, 2014.