Members of the Onikoyi royal family in Lagos have raised the alarm over an alleged unlawful move by the ministry of chieftaincy affairs to impose a king on the community.
In a statement issued on Monday, Akin Fafunwa, general-secretary of the royal family, alleged that there are plans to install Kunle Fafunwa, son of the late Onikoyi, Ibikunle Fafunwa, as king in violation of the family’s selection process and the existing chieftaincy declaration.
He said following Fafunwa’s (Onikoyi of Ikoyi) demise in 2023, the family selected Abdul Omogbolahan Sulaimon from the Ojulari branch as the next in line by rotation.
The secretary-general said the selection was made during a family meeting on December 9, 2023, in line with the 2006 Onikoyi chieftaincy declaration, published in the Lagos State Gazette No. 45.
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He said the family communicated the decision to relevant authorities, including the Eti-Osa LGA, the state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, and the governor’s office, but they received no response.
“Several letters of reminder were sent to the various authorities, but no response was received from any of the authorities as they failed or refused to respond to the confirmation of the selected candidate,” the statement reads.
“The Onikoyi Family were forced to cause their lawyer to write another letter to the authorities on the need to perform their responsibilities consequent to the declaration of the Onikoyi Royal Family and the Oba and Chieftaincy Law of Lagos State. Despite the letters, no action was taken, nor was any response from the authorities.”
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The secretary-general alleged that Kunle Fafunwa has been boasting about his connections with top government officials backing his installation as king.
“The Onikoyi Family got a wind that Prince Kunle Fafunwa, who knew about the declaration of the family being the direct son of the Late Oba Patrick Fafunwa Onikoyi, went about boasting that he will still be the next Onikoyi of Ikoyi & Imoba Land even though his branch just produced the erstwhile Oba and there are nine (9) other branches line up after the Fafunwa branch,” he said.
“Part of the boast also includes that there is nothing the entire Onikoyi family can do about it, as he will soon be installed as the next Onikoyi of Ikoyi and Moba Land by the Government of Lagos State because he knows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his son’s instruction has been given to the Governor of Lagos State to install him.
“Consequent upon the above, the Onikoyi family instructed their lawyer to file an action seeking an order of mandamus directing the Lagos State Government to act in accordance with the law by confirming the selected candidate of the family.”
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He said the matter, filed at the Lagos state high court, was adjourned to September 18.
The family also referenced a July 3, 2025, judgement of the same court, which nullified all appointments made by the late Oba Fafunwa Onikoyi and declared the then chiefs-in-council illegal.
“We are calling on the Lagos State Government particularly His excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop this illegality and an attempt to deprive the rightful branch of their entitlement and jettison the position of the law of the state including the Chieftaincy declaration thereby causing unrest within the entire Ikoyi and Moba land,” the royal family scribe said.
They asked Sanwo-Olu “not to allow illegality to be enthroned in the place of truth, justice and equity”.
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“This is an SOS call by the Onikoyi Royal family to His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, to urgently call the ministries of Chieftaincy Affairs to order,” the statement reads.
The family said that Omogbolahan remains the legitimate heir to the throne based on the rotational structure and chieftaincy declaration binding on the royal lineage.
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