Ruling Houses File Lawsuit Against Oluwo Over Alleged Exhumation of Late Kings

Three ruling houses in Iwo, Osun State, have brought the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, before the Osun State High Court, seeking his removal on the grounds that he allegedly exhumed the remains of former monarchs from the palace grounds.

The lawsuit, numbered HoS/56/2026, was filed by Princes Olalekan Lamuye, Adedoja Osunwo, Alade Ismaila, Ganiyu Saheed, Kosiru Kolawole and Wasiu Abolusodun on behalf of the Ogunmakinde Ande, Adegunodo and Alausa ruling houses in Iwo.

Defendants named in the suit include Oba Akanbi, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Secretary of Iwo Local Government, the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Inspector‑General of Police and the Director of the National Cyber Crime Centre in Abuja.

In a deposition submitted through counsel Soji Oyetayo on May 21, 2026, the claimants sought thirteen remedies, including an order declaring Oba Akanbi unqualified to continue as Oluwo of Iwo.

They also requested a mandatory court order compelling the first defendant to vacate or abdicate the exalted throne, arguing that he is no longer fit or proper to occupy it.

Additionally, the claimants sought a declaration that the alleged exhumation of former Oluwos from the traditional burial site known as “Ileta” within the palace premises was irregular, unlawful, without moral justification and contrary to the customs and traditions of Iwo land.

The suit further asked the court to declare the stool of the Oluwo of Iwo vacant and to compel the second and third defendants to initiate a fresh selection process in accordance with the Chiefs Law of Osun State and the Oluwo of Iwo Chieftaincy Declaration of 1988.

According to the claimants, the new process should invite the next ruling house in the rotational arrangement to present candidates for consideration by the Iwo kingmakers.

The plaintiffs also challenged the invitation, arrest and detention of the second claimant, Adedoja Osunwo, by Nigeria Police officers in Abuja over a purely civil matter of defamation of character.

They asked the court to declare the arrest and detention unlawful, a violation of the claimant’s fundamental rights, and to issue a perpetual injunction preventing security agencies from inviting or arresting the claimants over the matter.

The claimants requested an order restraining Oba Akanbi from performing the functions of the Oluwo of Iwo or presenting himself as the occupant of the throne pending the outcome of the case.

Responding through his media aide, Alli Ibraheem, Oba Akanbi dismissed the suit and described the claimants as “noise makers.” He said, “They are obviously dazed about the progress Iwo is recording under the reign of Oba Akanbi. He is representing God, no one can remove him. They can approach the court.”