An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso has barred the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye and the town’s kingmakers from removing the Chief Imam of the town, Sheik Teliat Yunus Ayilara.
The Soun recently queried the Chief Imam, with whom he had been in a supremacy battle, over the latter’s recent pilgrimage to Mecca. The Soun said said the Imam ought to have secured his permission before travelling out of the town.
In his ruling in a case brought by Muslim youth group in Ogbomoso, Justice K.B. Olawoyin said no one should stop the Imam from performing his duties pending the determination of the suit before him.
A group of Muslims in the town, who referred to themselves as “Registered Trustees of Ogbomoso Muslim Youths Forum” had taken the traditional ruler and the kingmakers (who are members of the Soun-In-Council) to court over the rumoured plot to remove the cleric.
The case with the suit number HOG/31/2024, filed at Oyo State High Court Ogbomoso Division, has Registered Trustees of Ogbomoso Muslim Youths Forum as plaintiffs, while the Soun and the Soun-In-Council are the defendants.
The Judge in his ruling barred the defendants/respondents whether by themselves, their agents, privies, officers under their control, or any persons acting on the instruction of the defendants/respondents from suspending or removing the holder of the office of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso land (in the person of Alhaji Yunus Olusina Ayilara) or in any way disturbing or tampering with the office of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso land pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
“The defendants/respondents and their agents, servants and/or privies and/or any persons acting under their control or on their instructions are also restrained in the interim from doing anything under any guise whatsoever to interfere with or impede the Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso land from carrying out the functions and duties of his office as Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso land pending the hearing and determination of the Motion On Notice filed herein.
“I put on record that I have taken judicial notice of the full names of the Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomoso land as Alhaji Taliat Yunus Olusina Ayilara and that of the 1 defendant/respondent as His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (Orumogege III), the Soun of Ogbomoso land.
“The hearing of the Motion on notice dated and filed 26/6/2024 is adjourned to 1/7/2024.”
