An Osun State High Court has ordered the Imam of Iwoland, Muhammad Thanni AbdulMumini, to pay a fine of N500,000 to Khalifah Ashiru Adio and Chief Abiola Ogundokun.
This is as the Court struck out the case filed by the Imam against the defendants over failure to prosecute it diligently.
The legal dispute began on March 3, 2022, when Imam AbdulMumini and two others filed a writ of summons and statement of claim against Ogundokun and Khalifa Adio.
The plaintiffs sought several declarations and injunctions against the defendants, challenging their powers to suspend or act against them in respect of their chieftaincy titles held in Iwo Central Mosque.
After a prolonged legal battle, the matter came up for pretrial conference on May 22, 2024, in the absence of the plaintiffs and their counsel.
The court, presided over by Hon. Justice A.O. Oyebiyi, struck out the case with a fine of N500,000 awarded against the plaintiffs.
The defendants had earlier made an application for dismissal of the matter, which the court granted due to the plaintiffs’ failure to prosecute the case diligently. The cost awarded against the plaintiffs on November 14, 2022, had not been paid up until now, leading to the defendants’ request for the case to be struck out.
This legal defeat marks a significant setback for AbdulMumini, who had sought to assert his authority over the chieftaincy titles in question. The judgment is a reminder that the legal process must be respected and that failure to comply with court orders can have serious consequences.
The parties involved are expected to comply with the court’s decision and move forward in accordance with the law.
