By Ayodele Popoola

|

Justice T.B Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday ordered that the trial of the Ekiti monarch, Oba Babalola Adebomi, the Alararomi of Araromi Ekiti in Ijero Local Government Area of Ekiti State, be moved to the Ado-Ekiti Division of the court in Ekiti State.

Transfer of the forgery case against the traditional ruler was at the instance of the defendant.

Justice Adegoke issued the order while delivering a ruling in the application by the defence counsel, Olumide Ogidan, in which he sought the transfer of the case, on the grounds that the Ado-Ekiti division is the proper place for the trial.

Ogidan further canvassed that taking the case to Ado-Ekiti would enhance administrative efficiency as well as accessibility to witnesses.

Recall Oba Babalola was arraigned in 2024, on two charges, bordering on alleged forgery of the University of Ibadan certificate and presenting same to the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, for a job in 2008 and also forgery of the Discharge Certificate of National Youth Service Corps(NYSC), which he was said to have presented same to the University Teaching Hospital for job.

The charge sheet No: FHC/AK/16/2024 reads inter alia: “That you, Babalola Babatunde on or about January 15, 2008 at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make and uttered a forged University of Ibadan Result which you knew to be false and with the intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine by the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti to offer you a job and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

“That you Batalola Babatunde on or about January 15, 2008, at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did make and uttered a forged National Youth Service Corps Certificate which you knew to be false and with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine by the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti to offer you a job and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.”

However, as the trial was about to commence, counsel to the defendant, Olumide Ogidan, brought an application for transfer of the case to the Ekiti State division of the Federal High Court, saying the matter happened in Ekiti.

Responding, the prosecution counsel, I. Osobu vehemently opposed Ogidan’s application, saying the defendant just wanted to stall the trial of the case.

Osobu urged the court to refuse the application for the transfer of the case as requested by the defendant.

In his ruling, the Judge held: “I read through the application of the defendant and the counter affidavit. I also read through the legal issue raised in the application.

” It is obvious that the cause of action that culminated in the case arose in Ado-Ekiti and it is the best place for the trial.

“I hereby heavily hold that the case be transferred to the Ado-Ekiti division of the court, as the court has a territorial jurisdiction to try the matter and for administrative convenience.”