The Onogie of Ewu in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, His Royal Highness (HRH) Jafaru Isesele 1, has called on the new Edo State Police Commissioner, CP Monday Agbonika to execute the Supreme Court Judgement in Appeal No. SC147/2014 on the stool of the Onogie of Ewu, wherein the apex court ordered Prince Razak Yusuf Ojiefo who has been occuping the Palace illegally; to vacate the Palace of the Onojie of Ewu and pay a cost of three Million Naira to the monarch.
In a petition to the new Commissioner of Police, the Ewu monarch through his lawyer, Kingsley Obamogie (SAN) alleged that Agbonika's predecessor, the redeployed Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin did not give the Edo State judiciary the necessary Police cover to execute the said Supreme Court judgement as directed by the Chief Judge of Edo State in a letter dated 24 March, 2025 and signed by Mrs. M.O. Okoeguale, a Deputy Director in the Edo State High Court Registry on behalf of the Edo State Judiciary.
In the petition titled, RE - ENFORCEMENT OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA IN SC/147/2014: PRINCE RASAK YUSUFU OGIEFO V HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS JAFARU ISESELE 1 & OTHERS, which was copied to the Honourable Chief Judge of Edo, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Director, State Security Service, Edo State; the learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that after all arrangements were made for the execution of the Supreme Court judgement and fixed for the 25 March 2025, the Edo State Police Command under the watch of CP Otimenyin refused to follow the Court Ballifs to Ewu under the baseless ground that the road to Ewu was blocked and that there was tension in Ewu, adding that the Police has a duty as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended to provide armed policemen for the execution of the judgment, especially against the background that the Supreme Court judgement on the Ewu stool has even been reported in the Nigeria Weekly Law Report as Ogiefo v Isesele 1 [2035] N.W.L.R. part (1975) 1.
According to the petition, "We act for His Royal Highness, Jafaru Isesele I, the legitimate Onogie (hereinafter referred to as “our client") and on his instructions, we write you this letter in connection with the above-mentioned matter.
"On Friday, the 19" of July, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered its considered judgment in the above appeal dismissing the Appeal of the Appellant, Prince Rasak Yesufu Ogiefo as devoid of merit. The Apex Court affirmed the concurrent orders of the High Court of Edo State and the Court of Appeal declaring our client as the legitimate successor to the throne of Onogie of Ewu and directuing the Appellant to surrender possession of the palace of the Onogie of Ewu to our client. For the avoidance of doubt, certified true copies of the enrolled orders/judgments of the High Court of Edo State, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria with respect to the above matter are attached herewith and marked as Annexures Al, A2 and A3 respectively.
Following the above judgment of the Apex Court, our client filed the necessary processes for execution of the judgment, which processes were duly processed and approved by a Judge of the High Court of Edo State pursuant to the provisions of section 287(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended".
Continuing, the petition stated that, "By a letter dated the 21st of March, 2025 the High Court of Edo State formally applied to you for armed police protection for the Sheriff/Bailiffs of the Court to execute the above judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Tuesday, the 25th of March, 2025. Again, for the avoidance of doubt, a copy of the above letter and the attached processes is attached herewith and marked as Annexure A4.
"Shockingly, after all arrangements had been made for the execution on 25th March, 2025, the police refused to follow the bailiffs to Ewu on the baseless ground that the road to Ewu had been blocked and that there was tension in Ewu community. These grounds were later confirmed by us to be false and baseless. No road in Ewu was blocked either on the 25th of March, 2025 or on any other date.