Stakeholders in Iree, a town located in the Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, have been warned against disregarding a valid judgment of the court over the Aree of Iree stool.
Recall that Justice M. O. Awe of an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo, in a judgment delivered over the illegal emergence of Prince Muritala Oyelakin, unequivocally declared that the stool of Aree remains vacant and no one should parade himself as the Aree of Iree.
Justice Awe, while delivering the judgment on May 14, 2024, had ordered the Osun State Governor not to install Oyelakin or release the staff of authority of the town to him.
The court had also barred Oyelakin from parading himself as the Aree until the substantive matter presently in court is concluded.
Meanwhile, reacting to some remarks by stakeholders who were alluding that there is someone presently occupying the exalted throne of Aree, a Prince from Olubonku ruling House of Iree, Prince Ali Afolabi, warned the people against flouting the orders of the court.
Making references to ongoing separate cases in suit numbers HOS/20/2024 and HOS/52/2024 before two State High Courts in Osogbo, Afolabi said it would be embarrassing for the respected town of Iree if stakeholders continue to flagrantly disregard valid pronouncements of courts, even when the state government, which is joined in the case and ordered not to install Oyelakin, has restrained itself by not presenting the staff of office to him.
Afolabi, in a statement, harped on the need for sons and daughters of Iree to respect the rule of law and ensure that all they do does not clash with the dictates of subsisting valid court judgments.
He said, “It has come to my notice and to other respectable leaders in our valuable town of Iree that some stakeholders have been disregarding with impunity a subsisting court judgment on the Aree stool by unlawfully ascribing the royal office of the land to someone who has been barred by the court from parading himself as Aree of Iree.
“It is more worrisome that some of these defaulters are people who should know the importance of obeying the rule of law in a democratic society like ours. It should be on record that two separate court judgments have declared that there is no Aree of Iree at present until the current litigations are validly addressed by competent courts.
“For us to continue to enjoy peace and development in our prestigious town, we should ensure that we do not give way to injustice or impunity in order to avert the wrath of the law. In our efforts at ushering laudable projects to our town, we should not pretend or feign ignorance of the valid court judgments that clearly stated we do not presently have anyone occupying the throne of Aree of Iree. We can’t expect something to stand on nothing.
“Therefore, I, on behalf of other noble and illustrious sons and daughters of the land of Iree, charge all stakeholders in Iree to abide by and respect court orders and stop actions or utterances that may result in contempt of court or make the world see our town as one that does not regard the rule of law.
“I promise to continue to do my best in ensuring the peace, growth, and development of our noble town of Iree and ensure only justice and truth prevail in our traditional leadership institution.”
