Court restrains Soun of Ogbomoso, kingmakers from removing chief imam

A high court in Ogbomoso, Oyo state, has issued an interim order, restraining Afolabi Olaoye, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the kingmakers led by Sobalaje Otolorin, from removing Teliat Ayilara, the chief imam of the town.

K.B. Olawoyin, the presiding judge, gave the order on Wednesday.

The judge restrained 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 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”.

“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,” the judge added.

The matter was adjourned to July 1 for a hearing.

The suit, marked HOG/31/2024, was filed by the registered trustees of the Ogbomoso Muslim Youths Forum.

Olaoye was sued both in his personal and official capacity as the Soun of Ogbomoso, while Otolorin was also joined as a defendant in the suit on behalf of himself and the Soun-in-Council.

Soun and the chief imam have been at loggerheads in the last few months.

Soun had issued a query dated June 10 to the chief imam for failing to inform him before embarking on Hajj.