THE Supreme Court has struck out an appeal filed by Micheal Onakoya against the decision of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of the lower court that dethroned him as King and Orijeru of Igbooye land, Epe.
According to media reports, the Apex Court in the suit SC//CV//969/2024 read by Justice Adamu Jauro described the appeal by Onakoya as incompetent, having been filed out of time.
The judgment read in part: “The Court observed that the Notice of appeal on page 442 of the record was filed on June 29, 2020, against the decision delivered by the Court of Appeal Lagos Division on March 26, 2020, which was out of the time prescribed by Section 27 of the Supreme Court Act. Though learned Prof. Yusuf Ali (SAN) for 7th respondent has urged the court to hear the appeal, we do not deem it proper to hear an incompetent appeal.
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the Notice of Appeal filed June 29, 2020, in Appeal No. SC/969/2020 is incompetent, having been filed outside the time prescribed by the Section 27 of the Supreme Court Act and it is hereby struck out. Notice of appeal is hereby struck out.”
Recall that the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division had in March 2020 affirmed the judgment of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere, which dethroned Michael Onakoya as the traditional ruler and Orijeru of Igbooye land, Epe.
Dissatisfied, the deposed king approached the Court of Appeal and sought the order of the Court to set aside the judgment of the lower court delivered on April 19, 2016, by Justice Iyabo Kasali.
However, the three-man panel of the appellate Court, Justice Mohammad Lawal, presiding, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, and Justice Jamilu Tukur, in a unanimous decision, dismissed the appeal filed by the deposed monarch.
