Ekiti Court Orders Suspended Ororin Priest Sunday Adetolaju to Vacate Traditional Residence
An Ekiti State Magistrate Court sitting in Ilawe Ekiti District has ordered the suspended Ororin priest, Sunday Adetolaju, to vacate the traditional residence known as Owa Orin, located in Irorin Quarters.
The ruling, handed down on Tuesday in a motion dated June 3, 2025 (Suit No. MIL/1M/2025), came after a suit was filed by the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, seeking the removal of the suspended priest from the premises.
Chief Magistrate A.A. Adeyefa declared:
“This honourable court hereby orders and directs the respondent (Adetolaju) to vacate Owa Orin premises situated 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. However, since he has been suspended by the Ekiti State Government, the place must be vacated pending the final resolution of the dispute.”
Following Adetolaju’s suspension and the appointment of Omo Orin Tunde Bamgbotogun as acting Ororin by the Alawe, the monarch approached the court to enforce the change.
In his motion, Oba Alabi requested the court to compel Adetolaju to immediately leave the Owa Orin residence, which serves as the official home of the reigning Ororin priest, and sought any other relief the court deems appropriate.
Represented by counsel Dr. Emmanuel Adetifa, the Alawe emphasized that the Owa Orin is not the personal property of Adetolaju but an official palace for the serving Ororin. Since an acting priest had been appointed, the suspended priest was expected to vacate without delay.
Supporting documents presented included a May 15, 2025 letter requesting permission to suspend Adetolaju for “flagrant disrespect and violation of the chief law,” the subsequent approval dated May 21, 2025, and the formal suspension letter also dated May 21, 2025.
The court ruling, made public in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, mandates that Adetolaju leave the Owa Orin residence as the dispute awaits final determination.
