A kingship candidate of Idepe-Okitipupa in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, Prince Raymond Oyebokun, has accused the traditional ruler of the town, Michael Obatuga, of planning to cause mayhem in the community by parading himself as the king of the town.
The Ondo State High Court and the Court of Appeal had sacked the monarch and ordered a fresh selection process which must exclude the sacked monarch.
The Prince said the courts had stopped Obatuga from parading himself as the monarch of the community but the latter is still claiming to be the king, an action which Oyebokun described as a violation of court order.
It was gathered that the obaship tussle in the community has been lingering for the past 20 years amid litigations from the parties concerned .
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, Oyebokun called on the Inspector General of Police, the Ondo State Government and all security outfits in the state to prevent an imminent total breakdown of law and order by calling Obatuga and his supporters to order .
According to him, in the last 20 years there have been series of cases which started from the Ondo State High Court, Okitipupa to the Supreme Court on the matter, alleging Obatuga has since been “flagrantly parading himself as Jegun of Idepe – Okitipupa against orders from the courts.”
He said, “The peak of his (Obatuga) lawlessness is the current plans by him (Obatuga) to celebrate what he calls his 20th Coronation Anniversary while he had lost the cases at the High Court, Court of Appeal with the final judgement now pending before the apex court.”
Oyebokun also stated that he had been persuading the aggrieved youths in the community to calm down and not to cause unrest over the alleged Obatuga’s actions.
“I want to thank God that the youths have always listened to me each time they tried to engage in violence. Twenty years of endurance in this type of case, which rarely comes by, is through the grace of God.
“In what may unfold next if my brother (Obatuga) fails to toe the path of peace and be law abiding, the existing peace that had hitherto been managed may explode,” he warned.
However, Oba Obatuga, in a reaction, said he had never violated any court order as the judgement of the appellate court which sacked him had been appealed at the Supreme Court. He further explained that he was duly selected by the kingmakers and the state government presented him with the instrument of office as the Jegun of Idepe-Okitipupa in 2003.
He said, ” I recognize the fact the High Court and Appeal Court judgements are in their favour but I have appealed the judgement at the Supreme Court in suit No : SC/272/2014. So the matter is still pending at the Supreme Court.
“Therefore, I Oba Michael Adetoye Obatuga, the Jegun of Idepe Okitipupa remains the Jegun of Idepe-Okitipupa until the final judgment of the Supreme Court is made.”
