The leadership of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, has taken legal action against 12 family members over allegations of financial inducement and manipulation in the selection process for the new Awujale of Ijebuland. The Chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House, Otunba Abdulateef Owoyemi, his deputy and vice chairman, Otunba Dokun Ajidagba and Prof. Fassy Yusuf, respectively, and the Secretary of the ruling house, Pastor Jeremiah Salami, filed a suit at the Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode.
According to the claimants, the 12 defendants, including Pa Olusegun Olusoga, Ridwan Oduneye, and Muyiwa Adeleye, among others, had formed a breakaway unit and constituted an illegal fact-finding committee to investigate allegations of financial inducement against the leadership of the ruling house. The committee's report led to the purported removal of Owoyemi, Ajidagba, and Yusuf as leaders of the family. The claimants described the removal as unlawful and null.
The Fusengbuwa Ruling House leaders are seeking N1 billion in damages against the 12 defendants for allegedly making unfounded allegations against them. They are also asking the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as the leaders or representatives of the royal house. The claimants averred that the defendants' actions would cause irreparable prejudice to them and the entire membership of the ruling house.
The dispute arose from a resolution reached at a meeting of the ruling house on November 7, 2025, where the three separate units of the ruling house were merged into one. The leadership structure led by Owoyemi, Ajidagba, and Yusuf was unanimously adopted. The leadership subsequently forwarded the list of nominated candidates for the next Awujale to the Awujale Kingmakers.
The defendants had written a letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the kingmakers, notifying them of the purported removal of the ruling house leadership. They also announced the appointment of Otunba Olukayode Otufale as the "Single Unified Olori-Ebi" of the ruling house. The claimants described this representation as false.
The claimants are seeking several declarations from the court, including a declaration that they remain validly in their respective offices. They also want the court to declare that the purported removal of the claimants from their offices is unconstitutional, unlawful, null, and void. The case is pending before the Ogun State High Court.
The outcome of the case may have significant implications for the selection process of the next Awujale of Ijebuland. The Fusengbuwa Ruling House has a substantial interest in the process, and the court's decision may determine the legitimacy of the leadership of the ruling house.
Key points
- The Fusengbuwa Ruling House leaders are challenging the allegations of financial inducement and manipulation in the selection process for the new Awujale of Ijebuland.
- The 12 defendants were sued for allegedly making unfounded allegations against the leadership of the ruling house.
- The claimants are seeking N1 billion in damages and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as leaders of the royal house.
