The Oba of Isheri-Olofin in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Wahab Balogun, has denied the allegation of disobeying an Appeal Court order directing him and other parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit in respect of a land tussle.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the Lagos State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, in response to a petition by the Ishau Olorunfunmi family, had urged the parties to obey the ruling of the appellate court.
The Olorunfunmi family had appealed the judgement of the Lagos State High Court delivered by Justice Lawal Akapo in favour of the Olofin royal family.
In a petition addressed to the task force and signed by one Olawole Ahmed, the Olorunfunmi family alleged that the traditional ruler disregarded the court order by asking occupants of the land to ratify their titles.
However, the Olofin royal family noted in a statement that it had duly complied with the order of the court, alleging that a member of the Olorunfunmi family was the one sponsoring civil unrest in the community.
The statement by Chief Babajide Osokoya read in part, “Oba Wahab Balogun and the people of Isheri-Olofin won a 32-year-old legal tussle against the Ishau Olorunfunmi family in suit number ID/488/80 delivered on May 15, 2012, by Justice Lawal Akapo of the Lagos High Court.
“The Olorunfunmi family’s application for stay of execution was dismissed by the same court on October 3, 2012, with cost, while an order of perpetual injunction restraining them, their servants, agents and/or privies from further act of trespass was also granted against the judgment debtors
“The family went to the Appeal Court in 2013 in suit number CAL/662a/013 in which the parties were ordered to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the appeal.
“All these were duly complied with by Oba Wahab Balogun and the people of Isheri-Olofin as law-abiding citizens of Nigeria, while the Ishau Olorunfunmi family and their agents, particularly Alhaji Shamsideen Adebimpe, who came all the way from Ibadan to instigate and sponsor civil unrest in the ancient town of Isheri-Olofin, disobeyed courts orders by selling the land discreetly.” Punch