A former member of the House of Representatives and ex-deputy president of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joseph Akinlaja, has condemned land grabbing.
He described it as an ille¬gal acquisition of land through force, intimida¬tion, or manipulation.
He noted that the crime should be condemned.
The foremost labour leader and an astute politician, who in May was appointed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as one of the members of Ondo State Task Force on Property Protection and Anti-Land Grabbing, hailed the state government for taking steps to nip the menace in the bud, no matter whose ox is gored.
Akinlaja, reiterating one of Governor Aiyedatiwa’s positions on land grabbing, said: “Land is more than just property. It is our heritage, a birth right, and the foundation of community identity. We will not stand by and allow criminals to rob our people of what rightfully belongs to them.”
Highlighting the grave consequences of land grabbing, including the destruction of property and loss of lives, Akinlaja, in a chat with reporters at his Ondo home, reiterated the need for a collaborative approach ‘’in tackling this issue.’’
He stressed the commitment of the Governor Aiyedatiwa administration to eradicate land grabbing.
Angry residents of Aponmu community in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State have appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene in an alleged land-grabbing incident involving some “powerful individuals” in the State.
The residents, who are mostly farmers, stormed the Governor’s Office in Akure on Monday, lamenting that their farmlands, spanning over 1,000 hectares, had been taken over by land grabbers allegedly aided by some government officials.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Mr Governor, Please Save Our Souls,” “We Can’t Pay Our Children’s School Fees,” and “Powerful People Have Taken Over Our Cocoa Farms,” the protesters accused the invaders of destroying their cocoa plantations and displacing local farmers.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a community leader, Pastor Tope Akinkuade, warned that there could be a breakdown of law and order if the government fails to act swiftly.
“Aponmu is a multi-ethnic community that has, for over a century, accommodated people from across Nigeria, most of whom are cocoa farmers.
“Our cocoa farms – our only source of livelihood – are being destroyed by these land grabbers who invade with armed men, clear farmlands with bulldozers, and sell them off with impunity,” Akinkuade.
He alleged that several farmers had been harassed, arrested and detained after resisting the invaders, citing the killing of a community leader, Emmanuel Ogboriefon, and the destruction of plantations belonging to another farmer, Charles Akinrolayo, who was detained after protesting the invasion.
Akinkuade described cocoa farming as “the lifeblood of Ondo State’s economy,” lamenting the ongoing destruction of their farmlands had thrown families into hardship and caused significant revenue losses for the state.
He revealed that the community had written to Governor Aiyedatiwa on October 17, 2025 to report the activities of the land grabbers, but the situation had worsened despite the appeal.
According to him, although the State Government once intervened to stop the attacks, the invasion resumed in mid-October when surveyors and bulldozers, escorted by armed policemen, returned to clear more farmlands.
“On Thursday, October 16, 2025, the bulldozers came again, guarded by policemen. When villagers confronted them, the policemen briefly withdrew, only to return later, claiming they were acting under some authority,” he said.
Akinkuade appealed to Aiyedatiwa to act swiftly to prevent chaos, saying the people’s patience was running out.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters, Bola Taiwo, urged the protesters to remain calm, assuring them that the government would look into their grievances.
Taiwo advised the community to channel their complaints through the appropriate authorities, promising that Governor Aiyedatiwa would ensure a peaceful and fair resolution.
He commended the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting lives, property, and investments across the state.
Last December, the Ondo House of Assembly achieved a significant legislative milestone with the passage of the Bill to Prohibit Forceful Entry and Illegal Occupation of Landed Properties in Ondo State.
The landmark legislation, championed by Hon. Moyinolorun Taiwo Ogunwumiju, Parliamentary Secretary of the House and Member representing Ondo West Constituency I, marked a step toward eradicating land grabbing and illegal property transactions in the state.
The session, presided over by Speaker Oladiji Olamide (Landmark), reflected the Assembly’s proactive response to the rising cases of land disputes and unlawful property dealings.
The Ogun State Government has filed charges against two traditional rulers and other persons over land grabbing.
In a statement, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), the government said it filed the charges of forceful takeover of land and entry of land against the Onijoko of Ijoko Ota, Oba Fatai Matanmi, as investigation showed that Oba Matanmi sold a parcel of land in 1976 for N22,000 to the late Madam Irokosu.
The statement added that the Madam Irokosu fenced the land and sold it in 2016 to the complainant who took possession, adding that following her demise, Oba Matanmi began to harass the complainant, claiming that late Madam Irokosu owed him a balance of N28,000.
Although this claim was bogus, the complainant paid N5million to Oba Matanmi to let peace reign, but the monarch continued to harass the complainant, leading to the charges filed in HCT/84R/2025 The State v. Oba Fatai Matanmi.
Similarly, the state slammed another Oba, Yusuf Olasunkanmi, the Olu of Orile-Igbon, a town in Igbesa area of Ogun State, with charges of forceful entry into a land using intermediaries, and unlawfully appropriating land belonging to a complainant and many other persons.
Using cover of a judgment obtained against third parties, Oba Olasunkanmi allegedly commissioned the attachment of land and enforcement of the judgment in areas more than one kilometre away from the judgment land.
Vacation judge, Justice Akinwunmi Idowu has returned the case file of the charges of alleged forgery and illegal occupation brought against a firm, Al-Trade Agencies Limited and two others back to the Chief Judge for reassignment.
During resumed hearing, Justice Idowu informed the prosecution, Rotshang Dimka of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, that the matter could no longer go on before the court following conclusion of the long vacation of state judiciary which ended last Friday.
Julius Eshiet and Alabi Collins of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, are 1st and 3rd defendants in the charges brought before the vacation judge by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had charged two men and a company before a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja for alleged land grabbing.
According to court filings dated September 1, 2025, the defendants were charged on a 13-count offence bothering on alleged forgery, illegal occupation, and forceful takeover of land.
The disputed property is located at Block C, Plots 30 and 37, also known as No. 6 (formerly No. 37A) Ajisafe Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
Prosecuting counsel, Rotshang Dimka of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, said the case followed a July 1, 2024, petition by Viagem Property and Investment Limited.
The company accused Al-Trade Agencies, Julius Eshiet, and one Yemi Kazeem Balogun of land grabbing, malicious damage, and document forgery.
Viagem stated that the a total of 9,425-square-yard property had been lawfully transferred over decades: first leased in 1961 by the Western Region Government to Nigerian Enamelware Company; later assigned to Western Metal Products Company Limited (WEMPCO) in 1993; and finally sold in 2019 to Viagem, which enjoyed peaceful possession until 2021.
The petition alleged that in 2021, the defendants, backed by armed thugs and individuals claiming to be police officers, forcibly evicted Viagem’s officials, violating the Lagos State Properties Protection Law, 2016.
He said the Lagos State Task Force operatives later marked the site as “under investigation,” but that the defendants’ agents allegedly destroyed the signpost.
During investigations, Alabi Collins, a director in the Federal Ministry of Housing, claimed the land was federal property, citing a 1946 Gazette and an October 16, 2021, allocation to Al-Trade Agencies.
Documents presented included a 2003 application form, a 2003 lease offer, and a Certificate of Occupancy allegedly signed by former Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola.
However, police investigators found records showing that WEMPCO and later Viagem consistently paid land use charges to the Lagos State Government.
He said no evidence was found of prior federal ownership before the defendants’ claims in 2021.
When the suspects were brought before the court last week, the judge did not take their plea but adjourned the matter to last Friday, September 12, 2025.
The judge ordered Julius Eshiet to be remanded at the Lagos State Police Command, while Alabi Collins’ counsel sought adjournment on medical grounds.
An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has struck out the case of attempted murder and land grabbing instituted against the Oloko of Oko, Oba Solomon Akinola.
The trial judge, Justice Kareem Adedokun, struck out the name of the traditional ruler after the prosecuting counsel, I. O. Abdulazeez, on the order of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Mr. Abiodun Aikomo, applied for the withdrawal of the case against the monarch, who is the second defendant.
Adedokun adjourned the case till September 18 for continuation of trial of the remaining 14 defendants, ordering the defence counsel, Mr O. A. Okeyinka, to ensure all the defendants were brought to court on the adjourned date.
In his reaction to the withdrawal, one of the complainants in the matter, Dr Isaac Abiodun, expressed sadness about the sudden twist in the matter, saying the action meant there was no justice for common man in the state.
He said the withdrawal of Oba Akinola’s name, who was the principal suspect in the case from the charge sheet, more than a year after the prosecution had closed its case, was a sign of gloomy days ahead in the administration of criminal justice in Oyo State.
According to him, the directive of the Oyo State Attorney-General to withdraw the case against Oba Akinola, the principal suspect in the case, is a travesty of justice and a very sad development.
“This is a case in which overwhelming evidence of the Oba’s terror on Aagba village has been presented before the court and the court is not being allowed to dispense justice on him. This is somebody whose actions have brought about varying degrees of injuries to some people and total destruction of valuable property, whose amount cannot yet be ascertained.
“In fact, we have tendered evidence of how Oba Akinola supervised the torturing of three indigenes of Aagba in his palace, beating and attacking them with a machete, at the court. Honestly, we are very sad and we can’t even continue work on our farm since the latest attack of burning down of the village.”
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described the review as an effort by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration to modernise the law in line with realities and good governance.
Pedro lamented the erosion of respect for traditional institutions, blaming it on misconduct, proliferation of unverified chieftaincy titles, and prolonged litigation over succession rights.
“Our royal fathers remain symbols of cultural continuity and community leadership. But today, with due respect, the institution is under threat — from land grabbing, unlawful upgrades, and chieftaincy titles not rooted in the customs of communities,” he lamented.
The AG explained that the review was aimed at addressing gaps in the law and redefining the roles of traditional rulers to include conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and partnership in community development.
He further said the proposed amendments would recognise traditional rulers as partners in maintaining law and order, mediating disputes, and conveying government policies to the grassroots.
“The law must evolve. Our obas can help reduce crime by mediating disputes, gathering public feedback, and promoting community initiatives.
“This process is about partnership, not imposition. We want a law that preserves heritage while promoting justice, peace, and good governance,” he added.
Many traditional rulers urged the government to give prominence to their activities.
Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi, said: “We want a clear legal distinction between traditional and provisional councils. We’ve reported impostors multiple times, yet no action has been taken. This must stop.’’
The monarch also objected to any attempt to alter the leadership structure of the State Council of Obas, which recognises four vice-chairmen from the state’s four traditional divisions.
He insisted that Chief Transit Committees should be consulted before any appointments were made at the state level, and urged the government to ensure chiefs were not excluded from the ongoing reform.
Oba Shotobi requested one month for traditional rulers to review the draft law and return with coordinated input.
“Our decisions are sometimes ignored in court due to lack of legal backing. We need enabling laws to make our rulings count,” he said.
Earlier, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Hammed Oyenuga, said: “This gathering presents a unique opportunity for robust dialogue, reflection, and collaboration as we seek to strengthen the law that directly impacts our revered traditional institutions and the communities they serve.
“The Obas and Chiefs Law, last reviewed decades ago, must now be aligned with contemporary realities, evolving societal dynamics, and constitutional principles without compromising the dignity and historical heritage of our royal fathers,” he added.
The meeting ended with a call for further deliberations in four weeks before final amendments were submitted.
Disturbed by the activities of land grabbers in their community, members of the Akowonwado families of Saari Village in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have urged Governor Dapo Abiodun, to save.
The family also urged the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), to caution the men of the Task Force Combating Land Grabbing Activities under his jurisdiction.
In a statement, the spokesman of the Akowonwado family, Micheal Erinle, said on April 11, some Task Force members as well as men bearing matchetes, knives, guns and weapons came to the community.
He said: “They swooped on our community and started shooting sporadically, harassing and assaulting everyone in sight which resulted in the shooting of Fatal Dauda, a block maker in the mouth. He is in a critical condition at Ota General Hospital. They arrested four innocent young men who are in custody.’’
Erinle said they had lived in peace until a group of people from Saari village petitioned the Task Force, accusing them of grabbing the land, adding that this was not true as they won the case the grabbers were referring to in a Supreme Court judgment suit number SC 259/2001 on May 21, 2004, thereby giving them ownership.
“In that year we came to the villages affected by the judgment, including Saari, to mark and paste notification of the possession order on the affected villages and areas, announcing our take-over in due course,” he added.
Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday passed a resolution recommending the Olu of Obafemi in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Oba Taofeek Kayode Owolabi, for suspension and prosecution for alleged land grabbing.
The Assembly directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), to implement the resolution.
It also directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the State Council of Obas to suspend the monarch for interferring in Agboro-Olatunde village’s land.
The resolution followed the presentation of the report of the House Committees on Justice, Ethics and Public Petitions on the petitions received from Agboro Olatunde Community Development Association against the monarch, as presented by the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Tella Babatunde, who thereafter moved for its adoption, seconded by Olusegun Kaka and supported by the whole house through a voice vote.
The Zone 11 Police Headquarters in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday arraigned a 69-year-old man, Kamilu Orotoye, before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, over alleged land grabbing.
Orotoye was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forceful entry to a portion of land, and illegal grabbing of 1434019 square metres of land belonging to an Ibadan businessman, Dapo Davies.
The defendant however pleaded not guilty and Magistrate M. M. Olagbenro granted him N500,000 bail with one surety in like sum.
Davies, on September 6, 2023, through his lawyer, Niyi Okanlawon, petitioned the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, asking him ‘to stop one of the staff of his ministry from shielding and aiding some land grabbers who, in spite of a pending suit at an Ibadan High Court, have continued to build on his land at Oke-Padre area of the metropolis’.
A Lagos businessman and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Hakeem Alobo Bakare, has denied allegations of land grabbing levelled against him by the authorities of the Lekki Residents Association (LERA).
Bakare who is the promoter of the Lekki Estate Ferry Terminal Limited, said neither he nor his company was involved in land grabbing regarding the site of the Lekki Estate Ferry Terminal project.
Reacting to the allegation by the Chairman of the Lekki Estate Residents Association, LERA, Mr Yomi Idowu, that he led some people to forcibly take over the land last Friday, Bakare said:” On July 29, 2020, we applied to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, that we would want to be allocated a piece of land within the pavilion at Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1 to build a ferry terminal for the use of the people within and around the axis. The step is to support the Lagos State government’s multi-modal transport system. The only jetty serving the area is the Five Cowries Jetty in Falomo, Ikoyi.
” Governor Sanwo-Olu graciously approved the request and government agencies such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Transportation, the Lagos State Waterways Authority, and the Office of Public Private Partnership among others were mandated to go into working on the project with our team. At the end of the day, a concession agreement between the Lagos State government and Lekki Estate Ferry Terminal Limited was signed by the parties on August 19, 2022.
“Our company has 60 percent ownership of the firm and the Lagos State government has the remaining 40 percent. The contribution of the state government is just the land they are allocating for the location of the project. We paid N5.87 million to get the Certificate of Occupancy for the site. When LERA raised the issue of conducting a Traffic Impact Assessment, we paid N1 million out of the N1.5 million demanded.
“Also, because LERA claimed the land was allocated to it by the administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 2006 for use as a park, the Lagos State government, through the Office of the Surveyor General was mandated to conduct a survey of the land and divide it among our company and LERA and that was done. A copy of the survey was given to us and LERA,” he explained.
He alleged that LERA has not made any payment since 2006 to indicate any intention to exercise rights over the land.
Bakare expressed surprise that after buying boats and other items valued at over $5 million, and with about N15 million worth of building materials deposited on site, LERA and some people would still want to stall the project.
“When they came to stop our workers on Friday, we did not argue with them. We know that it is a legitimate project that will benefit many Lagosians and even the state government. We have written the Attorney General of the State and we are waiting for their next line of action,” he said.
Bakare, who produced documents to back up his claims, including the agreement with the Lagos State government, said it was unfortunate that a noble effort by him and his company in conjunction with the Lagos State government is being frustrated by some people.
Idowu and LERA alleged that when the state government allocated the land to them in 2006, it was with the provision that no permanent structures should be put on it.
