Justice M. O. Adegbola of an Ibadan High Court sitting at Court 4 Ring-Road has ordered the service of the court process through substituted means be served on some of the defendants in the case instituted by the former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, against Olubadan of Ibadan and the 11 newly coronated Obas.
The claimant’s lawyer, Barrister M. O. Folorunso, told the court when the case came up for hearing, Barrister Folorunso told the court that all attempts to serve the defendants at their respective home addresses failed as the defendants were not available to receive the court service.
Reacting, the trial judge ordered that the substituted service be employed through the initialling process in the palace of Olubadan of Ibadan land at Alarere area, Ibadan.
Also, Justice Adegbola further ordered the return of the case file to the Chief Justice for reassignment, declaring: I am close to the parties in the case. Said he: “My closeness to the claimant; second and fourth defendants would impugn on my credibility and that of the judiciary”, adding that “the best in the circumstances is to step down in handling the matter”.
He stated explicitly that the court should be aware of his closeness to the claimant, Senator Rasidi A. Ladoja, 2nd and 4th defendants. And in the interest of justice, “I have no option but to ask another judge to adjudicate on the matter”, he added.
