LAGOS — A legal firestorm has erupted over the stool of Agbowa-Ikosi in Lagos State following shocking revelations by the deposed monarch, Oba Owolabi Saheed Momson, who alleges that the case leading to his removal from the throne was masterminded by a man posing as a lawyer.
In an explosive affidavit filed at the Court of Appeal, Oba Momson claims that the judgment which stripped him of his crown on May 30, 2025, was not only unjust but built on fraudulent legal documents signed by an unqualified person.
He is now asking the court to reverse the judgment and restore him to the throne, describing the entire case against him as a “gross abuse of judicial process.”
Shocking Claim: Lawyer Was Never Licensed
The monarch’s main contention is that the originating processes — the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim — in the chieftaincy dispute were signed by one S.O.K. Shillings, whom he says was not licensed to practise law in Nigeria at the time the documents were filed.
According to Oba Momson, this is not speculation but a fact confirmed by a certified letter from the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which he submitted as evidence.
In the affidavit deposed to by the monarch himself, he stated: “The person who filed the case that led to my removal was not a legal practitioner in the eyes of the law. That alone nullifies everything done in that case. The court was misled by a fraudster.”
The monarch argues that no court has the jurisdiction to entertain a suit initiated by someone who lacks the legal capacity to file it, insisting that the entire foundation of the case is rotten and should be struck down.
Blindsided by Judgment
Oba Momson also told the court that he was never served with the Notice of Appeal or any other legal document related to the proceedings.
He claimed that he only became aware of the judgment after it had been delivered virtually on May 30, 2025, when members of the opposing royal family stormed Agbowa Town in celebration.
He said he was in his palace, holding a meeting with his chiefs and Baales, when he first heard rumours of his dethronement.
“At first, I thought it was mere village gossip,” he said. “But when I instructed my lawyers to investigate, they confirmed that the Court of Appeal had delivered a ruling without my knowledge or legal representation.”
According to him, he was completely shut out of the appellate process and denied any opportunity to defend the judgment of the High Court which had earlier affirmed his legitimacy as Oba.
High Court Ruling Ignored
Oba Momson had, on March 23, 2023, secured a clear victory at the Lagos State High Court, which ruled that his selection and installation as the Abowa of Agbowa-Ikosi followed due process in line with the 1957 Chieftaincy Declaration and the Lagos State Obas and Chiefs Law of 2015. Following the ruling, the Lagos State Governor officially capped him as Oba on May 28, 2023.
But to his surprise, the Appeal Court judgment two years later not only reversed the High Court’s decision but did so, he claims, in clear breach of his right to fair hearing and natural justice.
Procedural Violations and Delayed Records
In addition to the issue of the unqualified lawyer, Oba Momson’s motion also raises red flags about serious procedural breaches. He said the records of appeal were compiled and transmitted more than five months after the appeal was filed — a delay well outside the timeframe permitted by the Court of Appeal Rules, 2021.
More troubling, he says, is that no application was filed to regularise this delay, meaning the appeal was procedurally defective and ought never to have been heard.
His counsel, Gbenga Ojo, argues that the case was conducted in “total violation of the law” and is urging the appellate court to exercise its inherent powers to set aside the judgment and restore the monarch to his rightful position.
A Call for Peace as Legal Storm Builds
As tensions rise in the Agbowa community over the unfolding chieftaincy crisis, Oba Momson has appealed for calm among his subjects. He urged residents to maintain peace and order, expressing full confidence in the judiciary to correct what he described as a “historic injustice.”
“I have no doubt that the courts will see through this travesty and deliver justice. Until then, I call on my people to remain law-abiding,” he said.
The case is expected to attract national attention, not just for its implications on traditional leadership in Lagos, but also for the potential disciplinary action against the individual accused of impersonating a lawyer — a move that could send shockwaves through the legal profession.
