Court remands monarch, others over land grabbing in Ondo

The Ondo State Government has intensified its crackdown on land grabbing and fraudulent land transactions, as a Magistrate Court sitting in Oke Eda, Akure, on Thursday remanded a traditional ruler and two others over alleged illegal land dealings.

The defendants, Oba David Okunato, Tifase Folasade, the Oba of Osi Community in Akure North Local Government Area, and Nwaigbue Chijioke, alongside other suspects said to be at large, were arraigned before the court as part of the state government’s ongoing campaign against land grabbing across Ondo State.

According to the prosecution, the monarch allegedly sold about 750 plots of land to a company for development purposes but later resold parts of the same land to several individuals.

The dispute reportedly surfaced when the company returned to commence development and discovered that other persons had laid claim to the land based on fresh allocations allegedly made by the traditional ruler.

The matter was said to have been referred back to the monarch for clarification, after which he allegedly agreed to compensate the company with another parcel of land. However, the prosecution further alleged that the same compensation land was also sold to another buyer, worsening the dispute.

The court subsequently ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

The defendants were granted bail in the sum of N2 million each, with one surety required to be a recognised traditional ruler within the court’s magisterial district, as well as a Level 14 civil servant resident within the Akure Magisterial District.

Reacting to the development, the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo (SAN), who also chairs the Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force, said the state government would sustain its crackdown on illegal land activities.

Ajulo, who is currently attending the Justice Matters Conference 2026 in The Hague, said the government remained committed to restoring sanity to land administration and protecting investors in the state.

He warned that individuals involved in illegal land transactions, forceful takeover of property, and fraudulent resale of land would face the full weight of the law, regardless of their social status or influence.

According to him, land grabbing poses a major threat to investment and peaceful coexistence in Ondo State.

He added that Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa had demonstrated strong political will in tackling the menace and had directed that no one found culpable should be spared.

Ajulo stressed that the government remained determined to protect genuine landowners, secure investments, and ensure that the rule of law prevails across the state.