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Supreme Court never granted Alaafin supremacy rights, lawyer backs Ooni

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Abuja-based lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has said that no Supreme Court judgment makes the stool of the Alaafin of Oyo the ultimate decider on pan-Yoruba affairs.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, had stirred a heated debate on social media after the former recently conferred the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title on Ibadan business tycoon, Engineer Dotun Sanusi.

The Oyo paramount ruler, who saw the move as an affront to his authority, gave the Ooni a 48-hour ultimatum to revoke the chieftaincy title or face severe consequences.

But in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, the Abuja lawyer described the Alaafin’s threat as wholly gratuitous and constitutionally unsound.

He argued that “beyond its surface provocation, the Alaafin’s order constitutes an impermissible assault on the very foundation of Yoruba heritage and seeks to revive a jurisdictional contest which neither law nor history sustains.”

“The Ooni of Ife acted squarely within his lawful, ancestral, and cultural prerogatives. These prerogatives are sui generis, inherent, and incapable of usurpation by any other stool. They are not the product of conquest or temporal power but derive from the very normative foundation of Yoruba civilization,” Olajengbesi said.

“Every student of Yoruba history knows tradition and scholarship unanimously affirm Ile-Ife as the cradle of existence of the Yoruba people, the primordial seat where Oduduwa, progenitor of the race, laid the foundation of legitimacy from which all kingdoms, including Oyo, derived their authority.”

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He stressed that as a lawyer who has litigated disputes around chieftaincy law, he could affirm that no statute, Supreme Court judgment, or constitutional instrument vests exclusive pan-Yoruba jurisdiction in the Alaafin.

“The law recognises traditional rulers through state chieftaincy statutes, not residual claims of imperial conquest.

“With the greatest respect, the oft-cited Supreme Court decision that is now exaggerated and purportedly vested authority in the Alaafin must be properly confined to its facts. Judicial pronouncements are case-specific, and no ratio decidendi of that Court has ever declared the Alaafin the sole custodian of Yoruba legitimacy. No statute in any Yoruba-speaking state vests exclusive authority in the Alaafin to confer titles of pan-Yoruba significance, and the Court cannot by judicial fiat extend such jurisdiction,” the lawyer stated.

“The conferment of the title Okanlomo of Oodua on Chief Dotun Sanusi, a distinguished Yoruba entrepreneur and philanthropist, is not a political office or military command. It is a cultural honour, symbolic of fraternity and solidarity. Such honours fall well within the Ooni’s remit as custodian of Yoruba identity,” he added.

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Public officers are stealing Nigeria’s money every minute – EFCC boss

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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says public officers steal funds every minute.

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the 80th birthday celebration of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi.

He stated that the anti-graft agency receives over 20,000 corruption petitions every year, describing the scale of the theft detailed in many cases as shocking.

“I receive over 20,000 petitions in a year in respect to public corruption, all terrible. What is going on? Like every minute, public officers take money, and if you go through some of our case files you will weep.

“The way people take national resources and Nigerians are victims of these fraudulent activities. And we must come together for once in our lifetime and say no to the activities of some of our leaders,” Olukoyede said.

The EFCC boss noted that some public officers assume office with less than ₦100,000 in their accounts, but within three years, the agency traces millions of dollars to them.

He added that some individuals acquire hundreds of houses while in office, warning that corruption is crippling the nation.

Olukoyede stressed that public officers must be held accountable for their time in office, emphasizing that transparency must remain the guiding standard in public service.

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VIDEO: Police identify officer in viral video saying Obi can never be President

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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested an officer who appeared in a viral video making inappropriate remarks about Peter Obi and Igbo people while travelling on public transport.

The officer who has been identified as INSP. Osumah Frank, was filmed saying Obi or any Igbo person can never become President of Nigeria.

In a statement released today September 25, the command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola said the command has commenced appropriate disciplinary action against the officer in line with established regulations of the Nigeria Police Force.

Abimbola stated that the statements made by the officer were made in his personal capacity and do not represent the position, views or official disposition of the Lagos State Police Command or the Nigeria Police Force.

She added that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, has reiterated the position of the command that all its personnel are expected to maintain professionalism, civility, discipline and respect for members of the public at all times. She further reaffirmed that wearing the Police uniform comes with a responsibility to uphold the dignity and integrity of the Force, and that the Command will not condone any conduct capable of bringing the Force into disrepute or undermining public confidence in the Police.

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Court rejects suit seeking fresh police investigation into late singer Mohbad’s death

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force to conduct a fresh investigation into the death of Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

Justice James Omotosho dismissed the case filed by the Registered Trustees of Break the Silence Foundation in a judgment delivered on Thursday, ruling that the foundation lacked the legal capacity to institute the suit.

The judge also described the application as speculative and lacking sufficient merit, noting that the foundation failed to produce the original police investigation report to support its claim that the earlier investigation was inadequate.

Justice Omotosho further cautioned lawyers handling ongoing cases against discussing matters before the court during media interviews or on social media, describing such conduct as professional misconduct.

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