By Lukman Olabiyi
Deposed traditional ruler of Agbowa-Ikosi , Lagos State, Oba Owolabi Saheed Momson, has filed an application at the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the judgment that removed him from the throne.
The monarch is alleging serious professional misconduct on the part of the legal counsel, who initiated the case that led to his dethronement.
Oba Momson claimed that the May 30, 2025, judgment that nullified his installation was built on flawed legal grounds, including defective court filings and a breach of due process.
Central to his application is an allegation that the initial suit was filed by a person not legally authorised to practise law in Nigeria.
In an affidavit submitted alongside his application, Oba Momson stated that the originating court documents :the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim were signed by one S.O.K. Shillings, who, according to a certified letter from the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was not a registered legal practitioner at the time.
“The processes which initiated the case that eventually led to my removal were signed by someone who, as confirmed by the Supreme Court, was not enrolled to practise law in Nigeria. That alone renders the entire proceedings invalid,” the monarch asserted.
Oba Momson argued that this fundamental flaw made the initial suit incompetent and stripped the courts, including the Court of Appeal, of jurisdiction to hear the matter.
He submitted both the Supreme Court letter and the original court documents as evidence.
In addition to the issue of unauthorized legal representation, Oba Momson alleged he was never served with the Notice of Appeal or any related documents throughout the appellate proceedings.
He said he only became aware of the judgment after hearing celebratory chants in Agbowa on June 1, 2025, from members of the opposing royal family.
“I was never served any notice or hearing date. I won the case in the High Court after eight years. There is no reason I would have absented myself if I had known the appeal was pending,” he said.
The Lagos State High Court had earlier affirmed Oba Momson’s installation as Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi, ruling on March 23, 2023, that his appointment followed the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration and Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law of 2015.
Oba Momson further pointed to procedural breaches in the appellate process.
He claimed that the Records of Appeal were compiled and transmitted to the Court of Appeal over five months after the Notice of Appeal was filed , outside the time limits set by the Court of Appeal Rules, 2021.
According to him, the delay was not backed by any application for extension or regularisation, rendering the entire appeal process “incurably defective.”
The deposed monarch is now asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the May 30 ruling and grant a stay of execution on the judgment. He is also seeking an injunction to prevent any enforcement action until his application is determined.
While the legal battle over his removal continues, Oba Momson has called on residents of Agbowa to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
“I believe in the judiciary and its ability to correct an injustice. I urge my people to remain calm as we pursue justice through the courts,” he said.