Ruling Houses sue Oluwo over alleged exhumation of late kings
Three ruling houses in Iwo, Osun State, have filed a lawsuit against the Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, seeking his removal amid allegations of exhuming the remains of former monarchs from the palace grounds.
The suit, designated HoS/56/2026, was filed by Princes Olalekan Lamuye, Adedoja Osunwo, Alade Ismaila, Ganiyu Saheed, Kosiru Kolawole, and Wasiu Abolusodun, representing the Ogunmakinde Ande, Adegunodo, and Alausa ruling houses.
Defendants in the case include Oba Akanbi, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Secretary of Iwo Local Government, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Osun State Attorney General, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director of the National Cyber Crime Centre in Abuja.
In a deposition filed by their counsel, Soji Oyetayo, on May 21, 2026, the claimants are requesting 13 reliefs. Among these is a declaration stating that Oba Akanbi is unfit to continue as Oluwo of Iwo. They seek a mandatory court order for Akanbi to vacate his throne, claiming he no longer meets the qualifications to hold the title.
The lawsuit also seeks to declare the alleged exhumation of the remains of former Oluwos from the traditional burial site known as “Ileta” within the palace as irregular, unlawful, and contrary to the customs of Iwo land. Additionally, the claimants are asking the court to declare the stool of the Oluwo of Iwo vacant and to require the state authorities to initiate a new selection process consistent with the Chiefs Law of Osun State and the Oluwo of Iwo Chieftaincy Declaration of 1988.
According to the claimants, this selection process should involve inviting the next ruling house in the rotational arrangement to submit candidates for consideration by the Iwo kingmakers.
The plaintiffs have also raised concerns over the invitation, arrest, and detention of the second claimant, Adedoja Osunwo, by police officers in Abuja regarding a civil matter of defamation. They are seeking a court declaration that this action was unlawful and violated Osunwo’s fundamental rights, along with a perpetual injunction to prevent security agencies from engaging in similar actions against the claimants.
In addition, the claimants are requesting an order to restrain Oba Akanbi from performing official functions as Oluwo of Iwo or presenting himself as the occupant of the throne until the case is resolved.
In response to the lawsuit, Oba Akanbi, through his media aide Alli Ibraheem, dismissed the claims, referring to the claimants as “noise makers.” Ibraheem stated that the Oluwo is committed to serving his community and cannot be removed from his position, urging claimants to pursue the matter through the courts.
