Daniel Adegbite, Ibadan

For declaring himself as traditional ruler of Iresa-adu, a community in Oyo state, which led to crisis in the ancient town last Wednesday, counsel to the Emiolu royal family, Mr. Abiodun Julius, has threatened to drag a member of one of the ruling houses, Mr Adeyeye Oyerinde, to court  for contempt of court.

Julius who spoke with journalists in Ibadan, said by forcefully trying to impose himself as monarch, Oyerinde's action has violated existing court order on the matter as well as all known principles for the installation of monarch in the town.

It would be recalled that Oyerinde had last Wednesday,  unilaterally declared himself as the next Aresa-adu of Iresa-adu without approval of kingmakers or any of the heads of the two royal families, an action which allegedly violated the Aresa-adu Chieftaincy declaration as approved by the laws of Oyo state.

His declaration was however, resisted by people of the town, both old and young, including family members, who all trooped out to the streets in protest against his action which they considered as sacrilege to the Aresa-adu throne.

The protesters barricaded the roads, burning disused tyres and also vandalised two vehicles to show their displeasure over the matter.

According to Julius, the failed attempt by Oyerinde to install himself as the Aresa using his brother as kingmaker was "a clear disobedience to a subsisting court order", declaring  that it was an affront on a subsisting court order in suit no: HCI/04/2019, which restrained all the parties concern from going ahead with processes leading to the nomination, installation or otherwise of the next monarch for the town.

He expressed happiness that the whole town including all members of the Oshunbiyi ruling house where Oyerinde hails from resisted his action, stating that he has obtained the approval of the Emiolu royal family to initiate "Contempt of Court" proceeding against Oyerinde.

He further disclosed  that Oyerinde had earlier written an undertaking with the police at Ogbomoso Area Command, where he promised not to parade himself as Aresa or embark on any other act capable of disrupting the peace in Iresa'du.

The legal practitioner also added that kingmakers of the town have also instructed their lawyers to follow suit so as to restore sanity and correct the wrong notion which Oyerinde has painted the entire town through his ambition.