A Lagos High Court, South West Nigeria, has dismissed an application for joinder in a chieftaincy and land dispute in Ayobo town, Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area.

Chiefs Sikiru Ayedogbon, Ishola Oluwabi, Olu Owonikoko and Amos Erinle, had prayed the court for an order, joining them as party to suit number ID/361/2006, for and on behalf of the Olalore chieftaincy family, Ayobo town.

Dismissing the re-application, Justice K.O. Alogba of Lagos High Court 7, Lands Division, was particularly angered by the fact that the first applicant, Chief Ayedogbon lied on oath, giving false evidence throughout the hearing.

He said it was established that the applicants, who claimed to be representing the Olalore family in the suit were actually members of Kadunise Alori Ataye family, which the monarch of Ayobo, Oba Idowu Ojoijo, the first defendant in the suit belongs.

According to Justice Alogba in his ruling, “in effect, it follows firstly that the first applicant lied on oath when he deposed that he had the authority of the fourth applicant, Amos Erinle, to bring this application.

“That was perjury, a criminal offence punishable with term of imprisonment under Section 118 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State, 2003. Also the affidavit evidence of the fourth applicant standing so uncontroverted not only belies the competence of this application, but merits knocks the bottom off it.”

He further disclosed that the disposition of Amos Erinle that the first three applicants belong to the first defendants, Oba Ojo-Ijo’s Kadumise Alaye Alori family and not Olalore family, stood uncontroverted, equally knocking off the foundation of the joinder’s application.

Justice Alogba dismissed the claim that Olalore family were kingmakers, while the Kadumise Ataye Alori family are owners of the stool of Baale or Oba of Ayobo town and that the Oba integrated the members of Olalore family into his cabinet.

It was established in the course of the suit that Oshoja, the ancestor of the defendants, was from Opatira in Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State and not Ayobo town.

The judgement in suit number 291/1933 had stopped the defendants’ descendant of Oshoja from claiming ownership of Igbo-Ilogbo land which is today known as Ayobo.

Chief Taiwo Ogunbiyi, Alhaji Ambaliyu Olorunfemi Oluwabi, Batini Lawal and Apostle Ishola Kimise, had on behalf of the Olalore family, sued Oba Idowu Ojo-Ijo and others, over the rightful ownership of the Ayobo chieftaincy stool and land.