A first-class monarch in the Ose Local Council of Ondo State, the Olute of Ute, Oba Michael Adetunji, was on Tuesday dethroned by an Ondo State High Court, sitting in Owo, headquarters of the Owo Local Council area of the state.
The judgement followed a 29-year-old prolonged chieftaincy tussle between the Olule Omoloja ruling house and the dethroned Oba Oluwole.
The case, which had been heard at the Appellate and Supreme Court levels, was referred back to the Owo High Court, where Justice Ademola Enikuomehin delivered the judgement.
Justice Enikuomehin ruled that the deposed monarch, who was a retired Major, should stop parading himself as Olute and ordered a fresh selection process from within the Olule Omoloja ruling lineage.
With damages awarded, the court also affirmed that Oluwole had no right to the throne as a member of the kingmakers, stressing that he could not make himself king.
While speaking on the judgement, counsel to the claimant, Mr Adewumi Fabuluje, said it was victory at last for the Olule Omolaja Ruling House, stating that the case started in 1995 and traversed all courts.
Fabuluje explained that the case was returned from the Supreme Court to the High Court for a fresh hearing after the judgement was awarded at the Appellate Courts.
On his part, counsel to the state, F.K. Salami, noted that the judgement would be reviewed and necessary action would be taken.
Also, Princes Boboye and Shehu Omoloja described the judgement as a relief from long suffering from their original entitlement, which they claimed was hijacked by a stranger.
