Olubadan warns chiefs against complicity in kidnapping, land-grabbing

The paramount ruler of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja (the Olubadan of Ibadanland), has directed all traditional rulers under his jurisdiction to take urgent action to curb kidnapping, land‑grabbing, and other criminal activities threatening security in Oyo State.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, the monarch emphasized that royal fathers are the first line of defense for lives and property in their domains, warning that no criminal operation — including land grabs or kidnappings — could succeed without the complicity or negligence of local chiefs.

Oba Ladoja stated that any royal father found harboring or aiding criminals would be held responsible.

He urged that his directive be communicated to all subordinate Baales and Mogajis for full enforcement.

He also expressed concern about abandoned compounds and dilapidated buildings that have become hideouts for criminals, declaring that traditional rulers who have relocated to their estates or abroad must return to their ancestral domains to help restore order under his urban‑renewal programme.

In response, the chairman of the chiefs’ association, Oba Adebowale Adeyemi (Oniladuntan of Laduntan), pledged the cooperation of all traditional rulers in Ibadanland to support the Olubadan’s call for a peaceful, secure and development‑oriented community.