
Justice Wasiu Animahun of a Lagos High Court in Epe has affirmed Otunba Musa-Adebamowo as head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye, Eredo-Epe. Aside from this, the judge equally restrained one, Julius Adenuga Lawal from presenting or parading himself or acting in the capacity of the head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooyeland, Epe.
The judge arrived at the decision in a ruling on a motion on notice brought before him by the claimant/applicant, Otunba Abdulwasiu Musa-Adebamowo through his lawyers, Hassan Fajimite, Babs Animashaun and Kemi Yusuf.
Justice Animahun further gave an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Lawal, the defendant, his agents, servants, and privies “from interfering with, disturbing or preventing the claimant from the performance of his duties and functions and exercise of the power and full enjoyment of rights of the claimant as the head of the Ewade Ruling House of Igbooye, pending the final determination of the substantive suit”.
The judge also ordered parties to maintain the status quo, prior to the commencement of hostilities on the sale of family property, pending the final determination of the substantive suit. According to the writ of summons dated June 30, 2022, the claimant prayed for six reliefs against the defendant.
The reliefs included that the claimant remains the substantive head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye having not been removed since his election in 2005 by Ewade ruling house; a declaration that the defendant is not the head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye, Eredo-Epe; and a declaration that the conduct and activities of the defendant in parading himself as the head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye, when the claimant has not been removed by Ewade ruling house or by an order of the court was fraudulent and unlawful.
As a result, the claimant had therefore sought an order of the court nullifying all the actions and activities, including any document executed by the defendant in the capacity of the head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye, Eredo-Epe; an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from parading himself and or presenting himself or allowing himself to be paraded or presented as the head of Ewade ruling house of Igbooye, Eredo-Epe and a general damages of N10 million against the defendant.
Granting the order of interlocutory injunction against the defendant, Justice Animahun declared that the law is well settled, and it is to the effect that it is to the maintenance of the status quo prior to the commencement of hostility. The judge equally posited that the law favours the claimant to continue to act as the head of the family pending the determination of the substantive suit. According to Justice Animahun, “The balance of convenience does not favour both sides as it affects the alienation of property. Where this is the situation, the status quo must be ordered to be maintained.”