… I can sue you for disrespecting me — Onikate of Ikate
THE combined team of Lagos state government and House of Assembly has expressed displeasure over the refusal of Onikate of Ikate, Surulere, Lagos, Oba Lateef Adams to vacate his business office at No. 66, Allen Avenue after the directive of the state government.
The team led by Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions & LASIEC, Mr Victor Akande, Director, Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Folami Aina, and Coordinator of Lagos State Spceial Taskforce on Land Grabbers, Mr Owolabi Arole, described the refusal of Oba Lateef Adams to honour the state’s directive on a concluded matter as an abuse of office and blatant disrespect for the state.
Speaking during an oversight visit to the property in question, Akande said that the Family of Theophilus Mabayoje Banjo, the landlord of the property at 66, Allene Avenue, approached the House over the refusal of their tenant, Oba Lateef Adams under the name Latris Fashion to vacate the premises after the court judgement.
According to Akande, “They brought the case to the House and after deliberation between the lawyers representing both parties, we agreed that Oba Lateef Adams under the name Latris Fashion should vacate the building completely by end of June, 2022, and commence gradual payment of the outstanding debts on the property.
“To our surprise today during the oversight visit to the property, we observed that the man in question is still occupying the building. This is a sad development. The fact that he is a king is not an excuse to disrespect the rule of law.
“As a King, you are supposed to be a good ambassador and role model that your subject can emulate. If as a ruler, you don’t have regard for constituted authority, what will you expect from your subjects?”
When the committee chairman put a call through to Oba Lateef Adams, he expressed displeasure over the manner he was treated by the House of Assembly members, saying that they did not have any regard for his office.
He then threatened to take a legal action against the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions & LASIEC, over the manner he talked to him on phone in the presence of his landlord.
He said “I know what I can do, but I want us to settle it amicably. We all know that House of Assembly is not a court. So, I know what I can do. Another thing is that the House Committee Chairman was not supposed to talk to me on phone like that because I am an Oba. He is disrespecting me.
“I can even sue the House for disrespecting me as an Oba. They are also becoming biased, the House is supporting the landlord. I know what I can do, I know my right, I can even sue him. I will take him up myself.”
Giving the background of the case, Mrs Abiola Paul-Ozieh (Nee Banjo), one of the Administrators of the Estate of Theophilus Mabayoje Banjo- landlord to the property, said that about four years ago, Oba Lateef Adams sued them to court to stop further increase in the rent of the property, as he could not pay higher rent than the amount he was paying then.
“We appeared in court for about a year, and the court passed a judgement that since he had not been paying his rent, he did not have case because no relationship of landlord and tenant between us. After that, we approached the court to recover the property from him because he was occupying both the down floor and first floor.”
She further noted that this made the landlord to approach Lagos state government and House of Assembly on the issue, pointing out that after the intervention of the Committee in which our lawyer and that of Oba Lateef were in attendance, they resolved that he should vacate the premises by June ending and commence the payment of the outstanding debts on the property, adding that but up till now, he is still occupying the building.
