11th December, 2021
By Raji Rasak
Justice Yetunde Adesanya of Lagos High Court sitting in TBS has affirmed Oba Israel Adewale Okoya as the bonafide Onibereko of Ibereko in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Delivering a 103-page judgement in a suit filed by 26 claimants from Ibereko community challenging his position as king of Ibereko, Justice Adesanya ruled that Okoya was duly installed as Onibereko as gazetted by Lagos State Government.
The Judge declared that the king and his cabinet were the custodians of the communal land in accordance with the tradition of the people.
Adesanya ruled that the traditional cabinet must, however, consist of representatives of the community duly nominated by the people.
The Judge, therefore, ruled that the claimants should accord and address Okoya as the paramount ruler of Ibereko land.
On the issue of the Oba using the police for indiscriminate arrest and persecution of his subjects, Adesanya ruled that the police should not be used as object of oppression and suppression.
She ruled that the the traditional ruler should not use police or his thugs to disturb the claimants.
The case challenging the monarch was filed on Jan. 26, 2011 and the claimants called three witnesses and submitted 117 exhibits.