Osun State Command of Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has set to investigate alleged forgery scandal, perjury, identity theft, falsification of age, and usage of fake, forged documents ravaging the illegal selection/or election, approval appointment and subsequent installation of a deposed new Alawo in Egbedore Local Government area of Osun State, Mr. Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq.
The Police equally concluded arrangement to arrest the State Governor’s Elder sister, Mrs. Modupe Adeleke Sanni, her husband, Mr. Aderemi Sanni, Lawmaker representing Ede-North, Egbedore, Ejigbo, and Ede-South Federal Constituency in Osun State, Mr. Bamidele Salaam, Chief of Staff to Osun State Governor, Mr. Kazeem Akinleye, among other persons that behind the recent illegal two(2) years coronation anniversary of a deposed Adegboye Taiwo as new Alawo in flagrant disobedience to Appeal Court Judgement in Appeal N0: CA/AK/58/2021 and Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/CV/1079/2022.
The investigation and plan arrest was as a result of the human rights organization, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) Petition Letter dated Wednesday 6th December, 2023 and signed by its Assistant General Secretary (AGS), Pastor Michael Agassi, on behalf of a member and Crown Prince of Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, Prince Abubakar Adeniyi and forwarded to the State Police Commissioner, requesting for thorough, credible and unbiased investigation on the subject matter, urging the Police boss to use his good office to help the good people of the ancient town of Awo nay Osun State in line with Sections 214 and 215 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to unravel the identity of those who behind the forgery of selection documents/minutes, falsification of dates of birth, identity theft of Notification of Results, NYSC Certificate with other fake and forged documents attached to Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq’s Expression of Interest Form Number: 000000114, for the purpose of filing the vacant Stool of Alawo.
CHRSJ, also requested from the Police to stop the illegal plan coronation anniversary for deposed Adegboye Taiwo in flagrant disobedience to Appeal Court Judgement in Appeal N0: CA/AK/58/2022 and Supreme Court of Nigeria in SC/CV/1079/2022, held on 9th December, 2023, where Governor Ademola Adeleke was alleged of trying to precipitate communal crisis in the ancient town of Awo by planing to present Instrument of Appointment and Staff of Office to deposed Adegboye on the said date through the backdoor.
It would be recalled that the Appeal Court, Akure Judicial Division, on the 8th day of August, 2022, had nullified all the illegal processes that led to the illegal appointment and subsequent installation of Adegboye Taiwo on the midnight of September 13, 2021, as new Alawo, by stopping Adegboye from wearing any insignia including; beads, crown and any other paraphernalia of the Chieftaincy Stool or parading himself as new Alawo henceforth.
Supporting its argument with the Supreme Court of Nigeria that it is trite principle of rule of law to obey the order of the Court as contained in the case of ABACHA V. FAWEHINMI (2002)2 SCNQR 489 at 546 thus :”….It is the law that a decision of a Court of competent jurisdiction, no matter that if seems palpable null and void, unattractive or unsupportable, remains good law and uncompromisingly binding until set aside by a superior Court of competent jurisdiction”.
Also citing, the case of Agbai Vs Okogbue(1991)7 NWLR (Pt 204)391, Abiodun Vs Chief Judge, Kwara State(2007)18 NWLR (Pt1065)109, Bass & Matt Enterprises (Nig) Ltd Vs keystone Bank Ltd(2015) 1NWLR (Pt1441)609, Agbakoba Vs INEC (2008)18 NWLR (1119)489, Vaswani Trading Co Ltd Vs Savalakh & Co(1972) 12 SC 77, Ivory Merchant Bank Ltd Vs. Partnership Investment Ltd(1996) 5 NWLR (Pt 448)362, Unipetrol (Nig) Plc Vs Abubakar (1997) 6 NWLR (Pt 509) 470, Effiom Vs Ironbar (2000)3 NWLR (Pt 650)545, Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd Vs Cutra International Ltd(2020)11 NWLR (Pt1735)302, Governor, Kwara State Vs Adeniyi(2021)12 NWLR (Pt 1790)305, Ezegbu Vs First African Trust Bank Ltd (1992) 1 NWLR (Pt 220)699, Confitrust (Nig) Ltd Vs Emmax Motors Ltd (2016) LPELR 41428(CA), All Progressives Congress Vs Karfi (2017) LPELR 47024(SC).
And Registered Trustees, Apostolic Church Vs Olowoleni(1990) 6 NWLR (Pt 158) at 537-538, Nnaemeka- Agu,JSC, explained the law thus: “….. Once parties have turned their dispute over to the Courts for determination, the right to resort to self-help ends.
So, it is not permissible for one of the parties to take any step during the pendency of the Suit which may have the effect of foisting upon the Court a situation of complete helplessness, or which may give impression that the Court is being used as a mere subterfuge, to tie the hands of one party while the other party helps himself extra- judicially.
Both parties are expected to await the results of the litigation and the appropriate order of Court before acting further…In The Military Governor of Lagos State v Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu ….., the Supreme Court gave its stamp of approval to the principle, inter alia, that once the Court is seized of the matter, no party has the right to take the matter into its own hands…..
The same principle applies in this case, mutatis mutandis, notwithstanding the fact that the offending party in this case is a church organization.They are subjected to the rule of law, and are expected to obey the law. Once they submitted the dispute to the court, they ought not to have done nothing which gave the impression that they are trying to pre-empt the decision of the Court. They could no longer, pending the determination of the suit, resort to self-help by erecting the fence wall without an order of the Court. To have done so amounted to lawlessness…”
But to the surprise of all and sundry, instead of Governor Ademola Adeleke to institute an investigation into the alleged forgery scandal rocking the Alawo Chieftaincy Stool by giving effect to the Appeal Court Judgement with obedience it to the letter, Adeleke then gave nod to confer illegal Honourary Chieftaincy Titles on his(Governor Adeleke) elder sister, Mrs. Dupe Adeleke Sanni and her husband, Mr. Aderemi Sanni which they conferred on them illegally on the fateful day of 9th December, 2023, by illegal and deposed Adegboye in flagrant disregard to Appeal Court Judgement in Appeal N0: CA/AK/58/2021.
Although, the plan presentation of Instrument of Appointment and Staff of Office was failed on the fateful day, due to the efforts of the concern people of the ancient town of Awo nay Osun State and reputable human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) which informed all the concern authorities including; Police, ICPC, National Human Rights Commission(NHRC), Department of State Security(DSS) of State Security Service(SSS) and host of other concern authorities, on the implication of Adeleke’s action in respect of Alawo Chieftaincy Stool.
Meanwhile, there was an allegations of forging of every documents leveled against deposed Adegboye Taiwo in respect of Alawo Chieftaincy Stool, that were ranging from forged selection documents/minutes, falsification of dates of birth, identity theft of Notification of Results and NYSC Certificates and host of other documents attached to his Expression of Interest Form Number: 000000114, thereby calling on the State Commissioner of Police to institute an investigation panel into the allegations for possible prosecution of the culprits including Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq.
Speaking further on the development, through a statement issued by the CHRSJ’S Media Office which was signed by Pastor Agassi and copies were made available to newsmen on Sunday, he declared that the two(2) Police Officers, Inspector Adebara (+2348036454662) and Inspector Olawoyin of Surveillance Department of State Police Command, Osogbo, put a call to the leadership of the human rights body (CHRSJ) on Thursday 14th day of December, 2023 at around 5:50pm to 5:54pm, in respect of the recent group’s Petition Letter on the Alawo Chieftaincy Stool to the State Command, Osogbo.
He added that the Policemen had been informed that the concern Complainant and representative of the human rights body would soon report to the department to endorse the petition with additional evidences to proof this matter beyond reasonable doubt in any Court of competent jurisdiction in the country.
He explained that the arrest of the aforementioned people were very important because they lacked immunity from arrest and prosecution for contempt of Appeal Court Judgement and pronouncements and as well as those who involved in the forgery saga in respect of Alawo Chieftaincy Stool.
Pastor Agassi, therefore, listed the names of deposed new Alawo, Mr. Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq accomplice in the forgery scandal as include; an Osogbo based legal practitioner, Mr. Olamiposi Egbedinni (+2348038676491 & +2348130613550), Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq’s elder brother, Adegboye Rasheed (+2348034350362) and Secretary, Abioye Ruling House/Compound, Awo, Alhaji Hamzat Abidoye Gboyelade (+2347038257120/ +2347017105353), who was parading three different signatures on the different forged documents in respect of selection of new Alawo.
Others were officials of Egbedore Local Government area of Osun State that conspired with Adegboye Taiwo in forgery scandal; the Council Manager (C.M.), Mrs. Abiola Felicia Olabimtan (+2348034350362), Head of Administration(HoD), Mrs. M. Ajibike Akinade (+2348064625901), Senior Administrative Officer(SAO), Mrs. Aina Adelu (+2347063920646) and Administrative Officer(AO) Adiyeloja (+2348034271655).
He added that the aforementioned Senior Staff of Egbedore Local Government, Awo, claimed to be an observers to forgery selection documents, where they were acted in contrary to Sections 15(5),24(a),172, 209, and Fifth Schedule, Part (1)1,8,9,11(1),12,13, and 18(1,3,6,7) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) in consonance with Chapter II(15) of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It also advised the Police to invite the aforementioned officials of the Local Government in Osun State for questioning on the subject matter through an invitation Letter to the Permanent Secretary, Osun State Local Government Service Commission (OSLGS), Government Secretariat, Abeere, Osogbo.
The rights group opined that all the processes that led to the purported appointment and illegal installation of Adegboye Taiwo Abdulrasaq as new Alawo on the 13th day of September, 2021 by the Osun State Government, was faulty as due process were not followed, hence, Adegboye was a product of fraudulent process, flagrant disobedience to Court Orders and judgement, falsification of age, identity theft of educational certificates, perjury, fake and forged selection documents/minutes and therefore, should not be allowed to hold the office of Alawo of Awo, Osun State, Nigeria.