Court acquits Ogun monarch of cybercrime allegation

Justice Adeyemi emphasised that justice delayed is denied and struck out the case. The judge noted that the court cannot continue to allow a charge to hang over the head of the defendant, who is also a traditional ruler.

“This is the fifth occasion on which this matter has been called, and the prosecutor is still unable to arraign the defendant. Justice must be fair, but it must also be expeditious,” the judge stated.

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The case commenced in June last year with a social media post attributed to Oba Shyllon Sogbulu, in which a video of the monarch performing traditional rites was manipulated to falsely claim that he intended to kill Alake and his family, leading to his designation as the suspect.

Reports indicate that a blogger, now identified as Sadiq Adisa, allegedly accessed the post and altered it to read that the monarch was threatening to kill the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, and his family, a manipulated communication that, according to the Lagos charge sheet, was designed to be "considered or acted upon as if it were authentic or genuine.

Following a petition submitted by Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Ogun State Police Command invited the monarch for a joint interview, however, the defendant was shocked by the turn of events.

“They invited me roughly three or four days later, with the expectation that we would attend the interview with one or more other parties, only to serve me with a prepared charge sheet from the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, naming me as a defendant,” Oba Adedayo recounted.

On September 16, 2025, the Director of Public Prosecutions submitted a formal request to the court, invoking Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, seeking to take over the case from the police. On September 23, 2025, Justice Adeyemi granted the application.

 The AGF's intervention did not expedite proceedings, as of March 3, 2026, the fifth time the matter was called, prosecution counsel H. A. Ashesim again appeared before Justice Adeyemi,  to request a further adjournment.

In a swift response, Chief Adekunle Funmilayo, counsel for Oba Shyllon Sogbulu, objected to the adjournment, stating that the actual perpetrator had since been identified and charged to court in Lagos.

Justice Adeyemi consented, invoking Section 36 of the Constitution, which upholds the right to a fair hearing and trial within a reasonable timeframe, and dismissed the case.