Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode
A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Friday halted the ongoing coronation ceremony to fill the vacant stool of Ayangburen, the traditional ruler of Ikorodu Kingdom, in Lagos State.

The Ayangburen stool became vacant on August 1, 2014, after the passage of Oba S.A.A. Oyefusi.

The ceremony to crown the new Ayangburen, which had been scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2015, was halted  on Friday by Justice O.O. Ogungbesan “in the interest of justice.”

Ogungbesan said she was satisfied from the evidence placed before the court that unquantifiable damages would be done if the coronation ceremony was allowed to go on as scheduled.

She therefore restrained the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, or anyone acting under his authority, from going ahead on Saturday to crown the current Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief Kabiru Shotebi,  as the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom.

The judge also stopped Shotebi from either “presenting himself for coronation” or “parading himself as the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, or actualising any recognition thereon as such, or exercising any of the Ayangburen royal functions,” pending the determination of a suit filed by one Odupitan Eniola, from the Lambo branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family of Ikorodu Kingdom.

Eniola, through his lawyer, Mr. Joseph Okobiemen, had approached the court with an ex parte application praying the court to halt the scheduled coronation of Shotebi, who hailed from the Adegorushe branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family, as the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu Kingdom.

The applicant claimed that it was the turn of the Lambo branch of the Lasunwon chieftaincy family, from which he came, to present the next Ayangburen, adding that he had been nominated by the family to be crowned as the new Ayangburen at meetings held on September 7 and 21, 2014.