An Ekiti State Magistrate Court, Ilawe Ekiti District, has ordered the suspended priest of Ororin in Irorin Quarter in Ilawe Ekiti, Sunday Adetolaju, to vacate the Owa Orin, the traditional residence of the Ororin deity priest.
The Chief Magistrate, ruling on Tuesday in a motion dated June 3, 2025, suit number MIL/1M/2025, filed by the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, against the suspended priest, stated, “This honourable court hereby orders and directs the respondent (Adetolaju) to vacate Owa Orin premises lying, situated and being at Egbeku, Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti.
“The respondent was there by virtue of his position as Ororin and Deity Priest of Orinlase in Ilawe Ekiti, but since he has been suspended by Ekiti State Government via exhibit EKA2 attached to the motion, the place has to be vacated by the respondent pending final resolution between him and the applicant,” the Chief Magistrate ordered.
Following Adetolaju’s suspension as the Ororin and appointment of Omo Orin Tunde Bamgbotogun in an acting capacity by Oba Alabi, the monarch approached the court.
According to the court ruling made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, the monarch had prayed the court for an order directing, mandating and or compelling the respondent (Adetolaju) to immediately vacate the Owa Orin premises.
It read, “An order directing, mandating and or compelling the respondent (Adetolaju) to immediately vacate the Owa Orin premises lying, situated and being at Egbeku, Irorin Quarters, Ilawe Ekiti and which is the traditional residence of reigning Ororin and Deity Priest of Orinlase in Ilawe Ekiti”..
The Alawe also sought “for such further or other order(s) as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of his case”.
Oba Alabi’s counsel, Dr. Emmanuel Adetifa, had told the court that “Owa Orin is not a personal property, but serves as residence to an Ororin in office and that since an acting Ororin had been appointed, the suspended Sunday Adetolaju should vacate the residence immediately.”
Among exhibits tendered by the traditional ruler are “Letter of request for permission to suspend Deity priest Ororin Sunday Adetolaju for flagrant disrespect and violation of the chief law’ dated May 15, 2025; ‘RE: letter of request for permission to suspend Deity priest, Ororin Sunday Adetolaju, for flagrant disrespect and violation of the chief law’ dated May 21, 2025), and “Ororin Sunday Adetolaju: Suspension as Ororin’ dated May 21, 2025.
