Court Strikes Out Suit Challenging Alagunjin's Installation

By -
The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has struck out a suit challenging the installation of His Royal Majesty, Oba Isiaka Babatunde Abdulmalik as the Alagunji of Agunji in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The suit was filed by Taye Bello and Others, represented by Barrister Ibrahim Alabidun, against the Governor of Kwara State, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Ifelodun Local Government Council. 

The claimants had contended that Oba Abdulmalik was not from a recognised ruling house and was therefore not qualified to be installed as the Alagunji of Agunji.

In his defence, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, filed a Statement of Defence and a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the competence of the action.

Delivering his ruling on Friday in Ilorin, Honourable Justice Muritala Folorunsho upheld the preliminary objection argued on behalf of the State Government by the Attorney General thereby struck out the suit for being incompetent.

The court held that the claimants failed to comply with two mandatory provisions of the applicable Kwara State law governing chieftaincy disputes. 

Justice Folorunsho emphasized that, First, the claimants did not exhaust the statutory procedure by first invoking the Governor’s inquiry process prescribed by law before coming to court. 

The Judge explained that judicial intervention could only be sought after that procedure had been completed and a party remains dissatisfied with the outcome. 

He added that, second, the claimants failed to pay the mandatory non-refundable statutory fee of N250,000 into government coffers before filing the suit. 

He further observed that payment was made in instalments after the suit had been filed, which did not meet the legal requirement.

By striking out the suit, the court ruled that there is presently no legal impediment to the installation of His Royal Majesty, Oba Isiaka Babatunde Abdulmalik. 

The court further emphasized that the monarch continues to occupy and perform the functions of the office of the Alagunji of Agunji in accordance with the law.   
                                                   
Adesike Susan Ajiboye.            
Press Secretary,
Ministry of Justice.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kwara declares Tuesday Hijra Holiday, wishes Muslims blessed 1448 AH

By -
Image
Kwara State Government has declared Tuesday June 16 a public holiday in the state in commemoration of the 1448 New Hijra Year. Tuesday has been declared as the first day of Muharram (1448), the first Islamic lunar month.  In a statement on Monday, the state government urges Muslims to reflect on the significance of the month for not just the Muslim community but for the entire human community.  "Hijrah (the migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad) reminds the world of the evergreen value of tolerance, common humanity, and the right of every person to their legitimate aspirations -- either in matters of faith or mundane matters as long as they do not hurt others," according to the statement. "As we commemorate the new Hijrah Year, His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, prays that God bless every home, restore peace to our land, and give us the strength to do right by every person." Bolanle Olukoju  Commissioner for Communications  Kwara State...
Read more

LG COMMISSIONER APPLAUDS OFFA COUNCIL OVER PROJECT EXECUTIONS

By -
Image
The Kwara State Government has applauded the Offa Local Government Council over the execution of projects that positively impact the lives of people in the Council. The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi Bata stated this during the inspections of capital projects executed by the Council, under the leadership of Hon. Olatunji Suleiman, the Executive Chairman. The Commissioner disclosed that the commendations became imperative after carefully observing the immense impacts of the projects on the benefiting communities. Hon. Bata made some observations on some of the ongoing projects and implored the contractors to expedite actions on them as the benefiting communities are very anxious to make use of the projects. He, however, disclosed that he was aware of the enormous resources the Council had committed to executing the projects, adding that the Executive Chairman and the management team have clearly demon...
Read more

Ministry of Social Development, KW-IRS Conduct Monitoring, Evaluation and Enforcement on Creche Registration Compliance

By -
Image
The Kwara State Ministry of Social Development, in collaboration with the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), has conducted a two-day Monitoring, Evaluation and Enforcement Exercise on Crèche Registration Compliance across the Ilorin metropolis. The exercise, which took place from June 23 to 24, 2026, was aimed at ensuring compliance with crèche registration requirements among schools and childcare centres providing services for children between the ages of 0 and 6 years. Speaking on the exercise, the Honourable Commissioner for Social Development, Hajia Mariam Nnafatima Imam, PhD, stated that all operators of crèche facilities are required to register with the Ministry and renew their registration annually in accordance with the regulations. Hajia Imam noted that crèches operating without valid registration are not recognised by the Kwara State Government and are therefore unauthorised to operate.  She added that such facilities would be liable t...
Read more

KWSG Unveils Action Plan for Ease of Doing Business in 2026

By -
Image
The Kwara State Government has unveiled a comprehensive 2026 Action Plan to accelerate economic growth, improve service delivery, and enhance the welfare of all residents. The plan focuses on key reform pillars, including land administration modernization, agricultural investments for food security, strengthened public-private partnerships (PPPs) and export promotion, accelerated infrastructure development, and expedited justice delivery with clear, measurable timelines. Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting on Ease of Doing Business, the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Kwara State Ease of Doing Business Council, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, reaffirmed the administration’s unwavering commitment to transparent governance, accountability, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. She highlighted strategic focus areas for 2026, emphasizing land administration reforms, agricultural investment promotion, public - private partnership expansions, infrastructure delivery, and justice s...
Read more