Kogi Government Appeals Court Ruling on Ohinoyi of Ebiraland’s Removal

The Kogi State Government challenges the court’s decision to sack the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, seeking to overturn the ruling in an appeal.

The Kogi Government has submitted an appeal to the Court of Appeal in Abuja contesting a state High Court’s decision to remove Tijani Ahmed-Anaje from his position as the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

Mr. Muzi Abdullahi (SAN), the Kogi Attorney General and second claimant in the appeal, revealed this information to Channels Television.

On Monday, Justice Umar Salisu of the Lokoja High Court ruled to remove the paramount ruler following a case brought by Daudu Adeku-Ojiah, Hussain Yusuf, and Abdulrahaam Suberu as the first three plaintiffs. They contested former Governor Yahaya Bello’s appointment of Ahmed-Anaje as Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

Represented by Mr. Lawal Rabana (SAN), the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Governor Ahmed Ododo, State Attorney General Muzi Abdullahi, and the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Ahmed-Anaje; as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants respectively in a case that initially commenced in Okene before being transferred to Lokoja.

The three plaintiffs petitioned the court to declare that the process used in appointing the 3rd Defendant as Ohinoyi of Ebiraland was improper and unlawful.

They further contended that the process violated Edict No. 3 of 1997, which governs the Procedure of Ascension to the Throne for appointing the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

In their appeal, Ododo and the attorney-general contested the decision of the lower court, with Adeku-Ojiah, Yusuf, and Suberu serving as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Respondents.

In the reliefs requested, the state government urged the appellate court to approve the appeal and issue an order overturning the lower court’s decision.

They also requested the court to dismiss the case brought by the 1st to 3rd Respondents at the trial level due to a lack of merit.

They stated that the ruling in HCO/12c/2006, which is Exhibit 1 and cited by the 1st to 3rd Respondents, was an interlocutory decision concerning the processing, nomination, selection, and appointment of certain individuals as Ohis for the five districts of Okengwe/Okene, Eia.่ Ihimaั Adaviู้ ิand Eganyi at that time.

In their five grounds of appeal, they argued that the trial judge made a legal error and arrived at an unreasonable decision by heavily relying on Exhibit P.O 4, which was attached to an “Affidavit of Facts in Response to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants’ Notice of Preliminary Objection.”

They claimed that the trial court made a legal error and reached an unreasonable decision detrimental to the appellants by relying on an interlocutory ruling in case number HCO/12c/2006 between Dr. Habibu Angulu Sani and the Kogi Government & 5 Others.

They contended that the trial judge made a legal error, leading to a miscarriage of justice against the appellant by assuming jurisdiction over this case when, in fact, he lacked such authority.

They further contended that the court’s decision contradicted the substantial evidence provided during the trial.

The claimants, on the other hand, requested that the court approve their appeal and overturn both the respondents’ case and the lower court’s judgment.