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By Lukman Olabiyi
The new Onitele of Itele, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government, Ogun State, Ademola Eletu Asorota, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Federal House of Representatives, Abeokuta South, Afolabi Moruf Afuape, among others risk being sent to prison, over their refusal to obey judgement of the state High Court, delivered by Justice Babasola Opeoluwa Ogunade.
Others are Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Kolawole Fagbohun; Mr. Jimoh Aminu Ojubanire; Mr. Kazeem Ajiboye; Mr. Azeez Ajiboye, Mr. Fatai Jimoh Asabiyi; Mr. Saheed Akanji Arowolo; Mr Sansaliu Morin Bamishebi; Mr. Oluyemi Ayinde Onifade, Mr. Saibu Olugbode Bamishebi and Mr. Taofeek Aminu Bumishebi.
Justice Ogunade had on June 16, 1995, declared that under the hereditary customs and traditions of Itele, only the Adogun-Atele family, comprising four ruling houses, namely; Imidawo, Oosa, Ogunrounbi and Alagbeji, are eligible to the stool of Onitele of Itele-Awori.
The judge held that the first defendant, Alhaji Jimoh Arowolo, not being a descendant of Adogun-Atele, or belonging to any of the ruling houses, is not entitled to hold the title of Oba of Itele. He granted the reliefs of Adogun Atele and, consequentially, Arowolo was removed.
Meanwhile, Pa Nurudeen Akanbi Akapo, Chief Taoreed Momodu Dada, Mr. Sunday Mathew Owotolu and Alhaji Monsuru Yusuf approached the high court, seeking an order of restorative mandatory injunction reversing or voiding the approval of Ademola Asorota as the Onitele of Itele, in violation of several orders of the courts.
The defendants in the suit marked HCT/503/2020 are Ademola Asorota, Saheed Arowolo, Kazeem Ajiboye, Taofeek Bamishebi, the Olota of Ota, Oba Kabiru Adeyemi Obalanlege, Ogun State Governor, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ogun State, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Ado/Ido/Ota Local government Area Council.
The suit is praying the court to declare the installation of Ademola Asorota as Onitele of Itele null and void, the same having occurred during the pendency of the suit challenging his claim to the throne of Onitele of Itele.
In a 43-paragraph Affidavit in support of motion on notice deposed to by the second plaintiff, Chief Taoreed Momodu Dada, he stated that the Supreme Court delivered judgment in SC: 200/2003, and declared that Adogun Atele family, comprising four ruling houses, is the only family eligible to the stool of Onitele of Itele.
The deponent added that the first defendant (Ademola Asorota) is a member of Ogungbemi Alagbeji, the judgment debtor in SC: 200/2003 and claims to be a descendant of an alleged founder and first settler of Itele as captured in his counter affidavit of October 4, 2020.
