A Lagos Chief Magistrate Court has ordered the remand of a man, Musiliu Musa Awoga, also known as Ajingolo, for allegedly impersonating the Orijeru of Igbooye Kingdom in Epe and forging a Supreme Court judgment to back his claim to the traditional stool.
Awoga was arraigned alongside three other defendants — Olamilekan Awoga, Hassan Adefala, and Moses Awoga — on a 13-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation, breach of public peace, and assaulting law enforcement officers. The Lagos State Government filed the charges before Chief Magistrate Jimoh Adefioye at the Oshodi Chief Magistrate Court, sitting at the Lagos State Task Force office.
According to the prosecution led by Mr. O.A. Adekunle, who appeared with Ms. Omotunde Airat, the defendants and others still at large allegedly committed the offences on June 14, 2025, at their residence in Eredo, Epe.
They are accused of forging a Supreme Court ruling in suit number SC/CV/969/2020, as well as fabricating official documents bearing the letterhead of the Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and the signature of its Chairman, Hon. Ismail Akinloye.
The prosecution told the court that Musiliu Awoga falsely assumed the identity of Oba AbdulRasak Musa, the recognized Orijeru of Igbooye Kingdom. He also allegedly styled himself as the “Awujale of Ijebu-Eko” — a title unknown to law — in violation of Section 34 of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State, 2015.
In furtherance of the alleged impersonation, Awoga reportedly wore a beaded crown and held a beaded staff of office, printed banners displaying himself in royal regalia, and distributed invitation cards in which he described himself as the “Oba-elect, Orijeru of Igbooye, Awujale of Ijebu-Eko.”
All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Musiliu Awoga pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, while the other three defendants pleaded not guilty to seven counts each.
Following their plea, the prosecuting counsel informed the court that the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) had requested the case file for legal advice, as investigations are still ongoing. The prosecution therefore urged the court to remand the defendants pending the outcome of the DPP’s review.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adefioye granted the prosecution’s request and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). The matter was adjourned to September 8, 2025, for mention and presentation of the DPP’s advice.
The case has generated significant attention in the Epe community, where residents have expressed concerns about the sanctity of traditional institutions and the misuse of legal documents to claim traditional titles unlawfully.
