17th June, 2010
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria has adjourned till 4 July this year, the N10 million fundamental enforcement suit filed against the Inspector-General of Police by the Aro of Ijora Kingdom, Chief Mufutau Oloyede.
Also joined as co-defendants are Chief Fatai Aromire, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Police Command.
According to the averment of Chief Oloyede filed before the court by Barrister Ogunjimi Oluseyi Olaniyi, it was stated that sometime in 1998, after the death of Chief Musbau Basorun of Ejimosun, the then Aro of Ijora Oloye, his name was presented by the Oduntan Family to man the stool and same was approved.
Thereafter, he said he was legally installed as the new Aro of Ijora Kingdom but since then, Chief Fatai Aromire was alleged to have been threatening and harassing him.
It was also stated that based on a petition written against him by Chief Fatai Aromire, he was, on 8 December, 1999, invited and detained beyond 48 hours by the Area C Police. He later sought and got an order of the court to restrain the respondents from further harassing him.
The Aro Oloye palace was later locked up by an order of the court obtained by Chief Aromire in 2000 and since then, he has been under constant harassment and intimidation by the police.
In view of this, the applicant urged the court not only to restrain the respondent from further harassment or arrest, but compel them to pay him N10 million as compensation for damages suffered during his detention.
However, in his own statement of defence filed before the court by Barrister Lawal Keshinro, Chief Aromire, while denying almost all the averments of Chief Oloyede, stated that as a respectable traditional ruler, he would not have treated any of his subjects inhumanly.
He stressed further that the applicant’s problem is with his family members over who becomes the Aro of Ijora Kingdom. The issue, which he said, is currently pending in court and therefore has no problem with him.
Chief Aromire averred further that the people who attacked the applicant have been arrested and charged to court, adding therefore, that this latest suit is an abuse of court process.