The Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi, has approached the Federal High Court, Ibadan, requesting a leave to appeal a judgment of the court. An earlier ruling by the court compelled the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to investigate alleged criminal activities of the monarch.
On December 15, the police chief, in a motion of mandamus filed by Jacob Oluokun and Sulaiman Ajiboye, was compelled by the court in suit No FHC/IB/CS/54/2014 to investigate the allegations of murder, gun running, bomb planting and human right abuses against the monarch, as contained in a petition to the office of the police boss, dated March 18, 2014.
The petition titled: “Unprecedented criminality, flagrant human rights violations, bomb planting, gun running and unresolved assassinations in Oyo town, Oyo state” was delivered to the IGP’s office on April 17, 2014, but dated March 18, 2014, according a reliable source close to the plaintiffs.
While granting the prayers of the petitioners, the Judge, Ayo Immanuel, described it as the statutory duties of the Police
But since the ruling was delivered, the police has not complied. The monarch has now approached the court through his counsel, Adebayo Adegbite, to seek the leave of the court to appeal the judgment.
The motion for the leave is supported by a seven-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Damilola Olugbemi, from the Adebayo Adegbite Chambers.
Although he was not a party to the original suit, he argues he is an ‘interested party’ in the case.
The counsel, Mr. Adegbite, in his Motion on Notice, said by virtues of Section 243 of the 1999 constitution, his client could appeal the ruling.
Although the Police Public Relations Officer at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Immanuel Chuckwu, said he was not aware of the order of mandamus compelling the IGP to probe the monarch, he said the police would obey court orders.
Sources in Oyo Town Premium Times that the monarch pledged to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election in order to stave off the investigation. Mr. Jonathan was in town on Saturday where Mr. Adeyemi promised to support the president.
Before Mr. Jonathan’s visit, the monarch toured the town canvassing people to “come and welcome and honourthe President the following day without wearing any vest or wrist band of APC,” Adisa Abiola, a resident at Akesan area, told Premium Times.
In reaction to the monarch’s suit, his Chief Press Secretary, Fehintola Azeez, said that “It was only the publication of the ruling we heard; we have not seen any action since.”
When he was informed that Mr. Adeyemi had sought leave to restrain police boss from executing the ruling, he said, “there are deeper issues, which… It’s only Alaafin, himself, that can comment on the matter.”
Efforts to speak with the Alaafin proved abortive as his line was not going through.
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