The Ondo State High Court sitting at Okitipupa has restrained the State Government from taking other and further steps or actions giving effect to the White Paper thereon in respect of recognising, appointing, inaugurating, presenting of Instrument or Staff of Office to or installation of the 8th Defendant/Respondent or any other person purporting him as Gbogunron of Ugbo (Alagbon) or Oba of whatever title in Alagbon in the Ilaje Local Government pending the final determination of the suit.
In Suit N0 HOK/76/2022 filed on the 13th December 2022 by High Chief Isaiah Adewole Demehin a former Commissioner for Information in the State and the Asogbon of Ugbo and Chief Malon Ogebe, the Baale of Alagbon for themselves and on behalf of the Founders and Ruling Families of Alagbon in Ilaje Local Government, the Claimants sued the Governor of Ondo State and others including Chief Wole Uroaye for himself and on behalf of the Gbogunron Family of Ugbo.
The Claimants, among others, stated that “the Gbogunron family of Ugbo are not indigenous to Alagbon which was founded by Jagbale, the Asogbon of Ugbo and whose descendants and those of Olomade have from time immemorial, consistently and exclusively produced the Baale of the community under the Prescribed Authority of the Olugbo of Ugbo”.
They stated that Gbogunron family’s secret Memorandum was rejected by the Justice Ajama Commission of Inquiry but accused “a member of the State Executive Council of influencing the decision of the Council to recognize his stranger Gbogunron family”.
Ruling on a Motion for Interim Injunction by Chief Olusola Ebiseni, Counsel to the Claimants, Justice D. I Kolawole, on the 11th of November 2023, further “restrained the State and the Ilaje Local Governments from recognising, countenancing or in any manner accord the 8th Defendant the status of an Oba in Alagbon or issue any document, letter, Instrument of Appointment to that effect”.
The Court further restrained “the 8th Defendant from wearing an apparel or in any manner parade himself or allow himself to be paraded as Gbogunron of Ugbo pending the determination of the Interlocutory Injunction adjourned till 23rd January 2023.