Onikoyi Obaship Tussle: Family Publishes Court Judgement Dissolving Council Of Chiefs 

Adedayo Akinwale

The Obaship tussle rocking Onikoyi Royal Family of Ikoyi and Imoba took another dimension as the royal family has made public a full court judgement document detailing the dissolution of the Onikoyi Council of Chiefs and removal of five prominent chiefs of Ikoyi and Imoba land.

The court judgement was published in one of the national dailies, not THISDAY, on July 28 and July 31, 2025 alongside a press release signed by both the Olori Ebi and General Secretary of the Onikoyi Royal family, Otuba A.G.K Onikoyi and Akin Fafunwa respectively, yesterday.

According to the the published court judgement, Adedotun Adeseye, Samuel Fafunwa, Sule Onikoyi, Moshood Onikoyi and Folarin Animashaun have been restrained from parading themselves as Odofin; Lisa; Ashipa; Eletu Omo; and Aro of Ikoyi and Imoba land respectively.

The royal family in a statement issued yesterday said Lagos State High Court judgement with suit N0. LD/2434GCMW/2016, which was reportedly delivered by His Lordship, Justice O.O. Ogunjobi on July 3, 2025, declared the appointment of the listed individuals as chiefs of Ikoyi and Imoba land null and void citing lack of due process and non-adherence to the Obas and Chiefs’ Laws of Lagos State in their selection and appointment.

The Onikoyi Royal Family said that they recognise that the erroneous approval of the concerned individuals as chiefs by the Lagos State governor was allegedly done in poor judgement and upon devious, corrupt and grossly misrepresented facts. 

They, therefore, called the attention of the public, Lagos State governor, and other concerned authorities to the court judgement annulling the selection and appointment of the aforementioned persons as chiefs of Ikoyi and Imoba land. 

The court judgement published by the Onikoyi Royal Family read in part states that: “The selection/appointment of the 4th-8th defendants by the 3rd, 9th, 10th and 11th defendants without due process and family consensus is illegal, null and void. 

“The approval of the 4th-8th defendants as Odofin, Lisa, Ashipa, Eletu Omo and Aro of Ikoyi and Imoba land respectively by the 1st and 2nd defendants (Lagos State Governor and Lagos State Attorney General respectively) is illegal, null and void, and is hereby set aside.

“The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th and 11th defendants, their agents and privies are hereby restrained from taking any further steps regarding the purported appointment or recognising the 4th-8th defendants as chiefs.

“The 4th-8th defendants are restrained from parading themselves or acting as recognised chiefs of Ikoyi and Imoba land. 

“The 1st and 2nd defendants shall depose the 4th- 8th defendants from the offices of Odofin, Lisa, Ashipa, Eletu Omo and Aro of Ikoyi and Imoba land forthwith.”

It would be recalled that the purported five deposed chiefs were the ones who presented the newly installed Oba Kunle Fafunwa to Lagos State Government as the next Onikoyi amidst disapproval and continuous protests from the entire Onikoyi Royal family. 

Kunle Fafunwa, the son of the immediate past Onikoyi of Ikoyi of Imoba land, late Patrict Ibukunle Onikoyi was installed new king by Lagos State government on July 15, 2025, while the court judgement dissolving Ikoyi and Imoba land Council of Chiefs was delivered July 3, 2025.

The royal family alleged that the deposed individuals, despite being restrained by the court of the land from parading themselves or acting as chiefs, were part of those that engineered the controversial installation of the new Onikoyi, breaking the existing law of Lagos state gazette.

They therefore called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to uphold the law by deposing the listed individuals as chiefs of Ikoyi and Imoba land, removing the “illegally” installed Onikoyi and following the established law of the land in the selection and appointment of the new Onikoyi.