ADEPOJU V. YINKA

TABAI JSC (Delivering the Lead Judgment): This is an appeal againsttwo rulings of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan, dated 9 March 2010 and 15 July 2010 respectively. In the ruling of 9 March 2010, the Court of Appeal granted the 1st - 13th respondents’ motion for stay of proceedings pending the determination of an appeal which they claimed was pending before this court. While in the ruling of 15 July 2010, the court below granted the 1st -13th respondents’ application to strike out the appeal on the ground that it had become merely academic. The parties have, through their counsel filed and exchanged their briefs of arguments. The appellants’ brief filed on 11 October 2010 was settled by Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN. He also prepared the appellants’reply brief filed on 6 January 2011. The brief of the 1st - 13th respondents was prepared by H. O. Afolabi Esq. It was filed on 10 December 2010. That of the 14th respondent was prepared by L. A. Ganiyu and same was filed on 9 May 2011. In the app…