Magistrate threatens to issue warrant of arrest against Oluwo

There was mild drama at the Osogbo Magistrate court when agistrate Olusola Aluko threatened to issue bench warrant of arrest against the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, for refusing to appear before court.

Before the commencement of the court hearing, there was palpable tension around Ilobu Road, the premises of the court.

This is as security was beefed up at the premises of the court at Oke-Fia, Osogbo during the resumed hearing of the case instituted by the Oluwo of Iwo-Oke, Oba Kadiri Adeoye against Oba Akanbi on Friday.

Earlier, the Court had asked Oluwo of Iwo to appear in person but still sent Oba Akanbi had sent the Ologburo of Ogburo, Oba Asimiyu Sadiq to represent him during the trial.

Magistrate Aluko refused to allow the monarch to stand for the Oluwo, saying the monarch cannot be represented in a criminal matter.

In Osun State, Oluwo of Iwo is one of the prominent and highly respected traditional ruler believed to possess a lot of power and influence.

Magistrate Aluko said, “this is a criminal matter in which the person involved should appear. There is a criminal indictment against him; he has to be here in person, failure which an order will be issued against him. He cannot be represented at all.

“From the letter written by Oluwo, I just have to say I cannot take anything from anybody. He must be here at the next sitting. This is a quasi-criminal matter. He has to be here personally; I want him here at the next day of adjournment.

“In fact, I won’t take any application based on the letter he sent. At the last adjournment, about three chiefs sat down here, they said they were for the first respondent, and I told them that they are not parties in the matter before me. Unless he appears to defend himself, I am going to issue bench warrant for his arrest”.

Oba Adeoye had through his counsel; Barrister Soji Oyetayo approached the Magistrate Court accusing the Oluwo of Iwo of concealing some facts about his past to the state government when he was installed as a first class monarch about a year ago.

According to the Oluwo-Oke in a 33-paragraph affidavit, Oba Akanbi had displayed characters that did not befit a person of his status and calibre “as he is used to carrying armed thugs, miscreants and hoodlums around to harass, intimidate, molest and attacked persons whom he perceived as his enemies”.

He further alleged that the Oba Akanbi was “an ex-convict who does not deserve the post he is presently occupying”.

But Oba Akanbi reacted to these allegations through the Aremoof Iwo land, Chief Adelani Akanbi, describing the application filed against the Oluwo of Iwo by Oba Adeoye as “scandalous, vexations and designed to embarrass, blackmail and ridicule the monarch in the view of right thinking members of the society”.

He further stated through a 13-paragraph objection that by virtue of his position, there was no person, be it traditional or honourary that is referred to the Oluwo of Iwo-Oke.

Oba Akanbi’s counsel, Barrister A.B Quadry asked the court to disqualify itself from hearing the case as it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit and that the applicant lacked the locus to file the application against his client.

The case was adjourned to Tuesday, December 20, 2016 with a directive by the Magistrate to Oluwo of Iwo to appear in person to defend himself.