The Dosunmu Onikoyi Ruling House of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba lands has maintained there are two ruling houses entitled to the throne of the kingdom, challenging any journalist or media house to take a trip to Isale Eko to find out from the Chiefs of the land, particularly the Idejo class of Chiefs and Obas, who are versed in the history, instead of accepting the declaration of 2006 which the Muti family is brandishing and forcing down the throats of all and sundry as a prerequisite for the selection of the next Oba of Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba lands.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Prince Ganiyu Onikoyi said any Idejo chief or Oba will tell you they are only conversant with two ruling houses of the Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Imoba throne, adding that the so-called 10 ruling houses are alien to them because it was not in any history book of Lagos.
“Please and please, I beseech of you to visit Isale-Eko and speak with any chief concerning the number of ruling houses in Onikoyi Royal Family. It is a history well known by oral tradition and well documented in some books. Go and read H.A.B Fasinro’s book titled “Political and Cultural Perspectives of Lagos State ” published in 2004 before the contraption of a declaration fraudulently engineered by the Muti family with the connivance of some mischievous elements in government
“H.A.B. Fasinro’s deep excursion into political and cultural perspectives of Lagos provides an interesting reading for all and in particular the indigenes clustered around Isale-Eko.The three-hundred and eighty three page book helps to put at rest conflicting historical accounts of the original owners of the Island City, including obaship and chieftaincy tangles and other volatile issues.
“Fasinro, with more than five decades in legal practice, a top public administrator, as he was for about 10 years the town clerk of the former Lagos City Council and a one-time Senator, blended his write-up with appropriate native songs, a frat which only a person born and bred as well as deeply tutored in traditions and customs of Isale-Eko could ever contemplate. for example, the book is replete with praise songs for each of the Obas of Lagos, each of the traditional Chieftaincy Houses and some dead eminent Lagosians.
“Fasinro’s historical verdict on the Onikoyi of Ikoyi is that there are two ruling houses, namely; Muti and Dosunmu. It is clear what the Muti family did was a crime against God and humanity. Even if you want to have an amendment to the Supreme Court judgement that clearly upheld that there are 2 Royal houses, shouldn’t the other family be present? But they surreptitiously procured their declaration and gazette it.
“There is so much greed and deceit inherent in the declaration. How could you want to divide 2 families into 10 and you have 9 families from one branch, which is Muti, leaving 1 for the Dosunmu major branch. Where is the justice in that? What format was employed to divide the family. Clearly, there was a travesty of Justice and a rape of any known law of humanity,” he said.
Continuing, Prince Ganiu, added: “What the Muti family did was a travesty of Justice and history. Being the incumbent ruling house, all their efforts were to keep themselves in power permanently. Imagine, out of the 10 so-called ruling houses, 9 of them are sub branches of the Muti family, while the 10th one is reserved for the Dosunmu House. More interestingly, the rotation by their arrangement puts Dosunmu as the last house to rule.
“In law as we understand, once a Supreme Court has ruled on a case, it is final. But the Mutis were so adept in their trickery game that they surreptitiously hid the facts of the matter from the government of the day.
“It was a mockery of our history, culture and our very existence. How could you want to change history made by our ancestors? Our progenitor, Onikoyi Adeyemi, a direct descendant of Jegbeade Onikoyi, the first Oba Onikoyi of Ikoyi Ile founded Ikoyi and Imoba lands. He had 3 children, namely; Ogabi, Fajobi and Igbodi. While Ogabi had Muti, Fajobi begat Dosunmu and Igbodi died childless. After Adeyemi, Muti succeeded him as Chief Onikoyi of Lagos. Next was Dosunmu who reigned from 1860 to 1891.
“Coming to recent times, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi before Oba Ibikunle Fafunwa-Onikoyi was Adamo Fagbemi Dosunmu Onikoyi from Dosunmu branch. How could you want to rub off this beautiful lineage of ours because of greed. Of course, they have had their days in court but then every dog has its day. The matter is in the Supreme Court and I strongly believe we will be victorious, Insha Allah,” the prince concluded..
