Supreme Court Upholds Dethronement Of Lagos Monarch

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Micheal Onakoya, challenging his dethronement as the king and Orijeru of Igbooye land, Epe, Lagos. The apex court ruled that the appeal was filed out of time, making it incompetent.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, on Tuesday, the court observed that the notice of appeal was filed on June 29, 2020, contrary to the Supreme Court Act, which requires appeals to be filed within a specific timeframe. The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, had earlier affirmed the lower court’s judgment dethroning Onakoya.

Despite Prof. Yusuf Ali (SAN) urging the court to hear the appeal, the Supreme Court refused, citing the incompetence of the appeal. Consequently, the appeal was struck out, upholding Onakoya’s dethronement as the monarch of Igbooye land, Epe, Lagos.

The judgment reads in part: “The court observed that the Notice of appeal on page 442 of the record was filed on June 29, 2020 against the decision delivered by the Court of Appeal Lagos Division on March 26, 2020 which was out of the time prescribed by Section 27 of the Supreme Court Act. Though learned Prof. Yusuf Ali (SAN) for 7th respondent has urged the court to hear the appeal, we do not deem it proper to hear an incompetent appeal.

“Consequent upon the foregoing the Notice of Appeal filed June 29, 2020 in Appeal No. SC/969/2020 is incompetent having been filed outside the time prescribed by the Section 27 of the Supreme Court Act and it is hereby struck out. Notice of appeal is hereby struck out.”

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division had in March 2020 affirmed the judgment of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere which dethroned Michael Onakoya as the traditional ruler and Orijeru of Igbooye land, Epe.

Dissatisfied, the deposed king had approached the Court of Appeal and sought the order of the court to set aside the judgment of the lower court delivered on April 19, 2016 by Justice Iyabo Kasali.

But the three-man panel of the appellate court, Justice Mohammad Lawal, presiding, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu and Justice Jamilu Tukur, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the appeal filed by the deposed monarch.