Court Halts Installation of Yusuf Musa Opeyemi as Aro of Igbemo Ekiti.

Court Halts Installation of Yusuf Musa Opeyemi as Aro of Igbemo Ekiti.

...Ijomu Development Council Urges Ekiti Govt to Caution Onigbemo-in-Council.

The Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has ordered the suspension of the proposed installation of Yusuf Musa Opeyemi Kalamu, a civil servant, as the High Chief Aro of Igbemo Ekiti, following a chieftaincy dispute over alleged violations of custom and tradition.

The order followed an application for an interlocutory injunction filed by members of the Aro Chieftaincy Ruling House, seeking to restrain traditional authorities and other parties from proceeding with the installation pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The claimants, Engr. Adeniyi Ige Kehinde and Mr. Adeniyi Pius Ojo, instituted the suit for themselves and on behalf of the Agbo Ule Aro Lagbaye Ruling House of Igbemo Ekiti. They maintained that their family is the rightful ruling house entitled to produce the Aro of Igbemo Ekiti in line with long-established customs.

Those listed as defendants include Alhaji Ogunmilade Yusuf, Mr. Yusuf Musa Opeyemi, and the Onigbemo of Igbemo Ekiti, Oba Daramola Adewumi, sued for himself and on behalf of the Onigbemo-in-Council.

The dispute arose from the alleged attempt to install the second defendant, a son of the first defendant, as High Chief Aro by the Onigbemo, a move the claimants said was carried out without due regard to customary procedures and the Ekiti State Ministry of Chieftaincy and Home Affairs Law. They insisted that the Aro chieftaincy title is exclusive to the Aro family and not the Ogunmilade Okunola Bada family.

In granting the interim relief, the court restrained the Onigbemo from taking any step to install the proposed Aro until the substantive issues before it are fully determined. The court also directed all parties to maintain the status quo to preserve peace and prevent actions that could complicate the resolution of the dispute.

Meanwhile, the Ijomu Development Council has called on the Ekiti State Government to caution the Onigbemo-in-Council over actions capable of escalating tension in the community. The council urged the state authorities, particularly the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, to ensure strict compliance with court orders and established customs.

The Secretary-General of the Ijomu Development Council, Amb. Ezekiel Ibikunle Jasper, said the court order had helped to ease tension in Ijomu Quarter. He appealed to residents to remain calm and warned them to stay away from the Onigbemo’s palace and the Ogunmilade compound to maintain peace and order.

Counsel to the claimants, Christopher Omokhodion Omokhafe, expressed confidence that the court would give full consideration to the historical and customary issues raised in the suit, urging the people of Ijomu to remain calm as the court remains the final arbiter.

The court has directed the defendants to enter appearance within the stipulated time, warning that failure to do so could result in proceedings continuing in their absence. The matter is expected to come up for further hearing as the court undertakes a detailed examination of the competing claims, a development observers say could shape the future handling of Aro chieftaincy succession disputes in Igbemo Ekiti.